Kota infants’ death tragedy: Rajasthan deputy CM slams own government

Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot criticised his own government over the infants’ death in JK Lone hospital, Kota, and said our response could have been more compassionate and sensitive 

Jodhpur: Criticising his government over the deaths of 107 children in Kota's state-run JK Lone Hospital, Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Saturday said their response to the infant deaths could have been more sensitive.

Pilot said it was not a small incident and also stressed that accountability for the entire episode should be fixed.

"I think our response on this issue could have been more compassionate and sensitive. After being in power for 13 months I think it serves no purpose to blame the previous government's misdeeds. Accountability should be fixed," Pilot told reporters. Following the death of an infant in the morning, the death toll at JK Lone Hospital here has risen to 107, officials said on Saturday.

“As many as 107 children have died in the hospital. This is very painful. Our response to the entire matter was not satisfactory to some extent. The response could have been more sensitive, and we should have been more compassionate,” he told reporters.

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Pilot, who is also Congress' state party chief, had earlier visited some of the families who lost their children and also went to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker and Kota MP Om Birla on Saturday met the kin of infants who lost their lives in JK Lone hospital and said, “Deaths of infants is a worrying incident. Since it is my constituency it is my duty to make sure that infants do not die. But since health is a matter of the state, it also tries to implement schemes and suggestions by the central government. But we need special care for the children ward or for children in hospitals.”   

A three-member state government committee of doctors, that was sent to investigate the matter on December 23 and 24, found that Kota's JK Lone Hospital is short of beds and it requires improvement.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the chief secretary of Rajasthan to submit a detailed report within four weeks about the steps being taken to address the issue of child deaths in the Kota hospital.

The commission also asked the chief secretary to ensure that such deaths of the children do not recur in the future due to lack of infrastructure and health facilities at the hospitals.

With PTI Inputs