Bhopal/Rewa: The Madhya Pradesh Congress has launched a fierce attack on the BJP government following the alleged death of a newborn child in a fire at Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital (SGMH) in Rewa district on Sunday.
Led by state unit chief Jitu Patwari, Congress accused the government of negligence and called for the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who heads the state's health department.
"After the Coldrif cough syrup incident that claimed 26 children's lives in Chhindwara and two children who died at MY Hospital in Indore earlier, a newborn child was burnt to death in Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Rewa, the home district of Dy CM Rajendra Shukla, and the government has maintained complete silence," Patwari said on Monday.
The PCC chief also criticised senior BJP leader and Sidhi Lok Sabha MP Rajesh Mishra, whose nephew Dr Rahul Mishra serves as superintendent of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, one of Madhya Pradesh's largest health institutions.
"The BJP has turned Madhya Pradesh's health system into a joke. One incident after another is coming from different parts of the state, and every time the government only orders an inquiry into the matter. Why doesn't Chief Minister Mohan Yadav remove Deputy CM Rajendra Shukla from the cabinet?" Patwari questioned.
The fire broke out in the gynaecology ward on Sunday afternoon, with flames reported inside the operation theatre. Hospital authorities later acknowledged that the body of a newborn, delivered during a surgical procedure, was left inside the OT during the evacuation and was subsequently burnt in the blaze.
Hospital superintendent Rahul Mishra told IANS that the baby was stillborn during the operation. He explained that a separate fire had broken out in the OPD area around the same time, causing panic and prompting staff to evacuate patients on priority.
"In the process, the newborn's body, which was kept inside the operation theatre, could not be removed and was severely damaged by the fire," Dr Mishra told IANS on Monday.
Deputy CM Rajendra Shukla, who was in Rewa on Sunday, stated that he was not informed about the newborn's death in the fire incident. He assured that a detailed investigation would be conducted and strict action would be taken against those found responsible.
Adding to concerns, the SGMH, which is the largest health institution in the Vindhya region and was established during the Congress government, does not have a valid fire no objection certificate (NOC).
Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Sonawade said multiple notices had been issued to the hospital management for failing to meet fire safety norms, adding that similar lapses exist at other major hospitals in Rewa.
Following the incident, the health department has ordered an inquiry into the cause of the fire and the handling of the aftermath, as questions mount over accountability and patient safety in government hospitals.
(Inputs from IANS)