Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday slammed the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government after at least ten newborns were killed in the fire that broke out at the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi on Friday night.
Hitting out at the BJP government, Gandhi said such tragic incidents, which happen one after another in Uttar Pradesh, raise many serious questions about the negligence of the government and the administration.
“I am deeply saddened by the news of the death and injury of several newborn children in the tragic accident at Jhansi Medical College. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” the Congress leader said in a post in Hindi on X.
The Rae Bareli MP demanded that the government ensure the injured children get the best treatment. “Also, this tragic incident should be investigated immediately and strict legal action should be taken against the culprits,” he said.
The Samajwadi Party chief said that is a case of negligence of medical management. “The news of 10 children dying and many children getting injured due to fire in Jhansi Medical College is extremely sad and worrying. Heartfelt condolences to everyone,” he said on X.
He noted that the cause of the fire is being said to be a fire in the ‘oxygen concentrator’. Yadav said that “this is a direct case of negligence of medical management and administration or of poor quality oxygen concentrator”.
Punitive action should be taken against all those responsible in this case, Yadav demanded.
“The Chief Minister should leave the election campaign and false claims of ‘everything being fine’ and focus on the poor condition of health and medical facilities. Only the families who have lost their children can understand the pain and suffering. This is not only a governmental responsibility but also a moral responsibility,” he slammed Yogi.
Gorakhpur should not be repeated, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said, referring to the incident where several children were killed due to a shortage of oxygen in a hospital in Yogi Adityanath’s constituency, which shocked the nation.
Yadav said the BJP government in UP should provide world-class medical facilities to all the injured children and give Rs 1 crore each as condolence money to all the bereaved families who have lost their children.
Earlier today, CM Yogi announced assistance of Rs five lakh each to parents of the newborns who died in the fire incident at Maharani Laxmibai Medical College Hospital.
The UP government also announced Rs 50,000 each to the families of the injured from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
The Chief Minister directed the Divisional Commissioner and Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of Jhansi to submit a report regarding the incident within 12 hours.
The tragic incident that has plunged the nation into mourning, occurred on Friday night in the government-run hospital. According to reports, the fire, believed to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, broke out around 10:45 PM, claiming the lives of at least 10 newborns and injured 16 others critically.