Congress leader Sushmita Dev slams PM Modi over infant deaths in Rajkot

Congress leader and All India Mahila Congress President Sushmita Dev on Sunday has slammed the BJP over the report of 134 infant deaths in the Rajkot Civil Hospital in Gujarat. Taking to the microblogging site, Dev has questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan about whether they would break their silence over this issue. She further stated that the concern for children should not be selective and urged BJP Mahila Morcha's Locket Chatterjee to visit Gujarat to enquire about the tragedy.

READ | Rajasthan: After Kota, 146 Infants Die In Jodhpur Hospital In December

At a time when the death toll at Kota's JK Lon Hospital continues to rise, disturbing figures of similar deaths have emerged from Rajkot in Gujarat. According to sources, at least 110 infants have lost their lives in Rajkot Civil Hospital due to being born under-weight. Officials claim that the ratio of death is very low as there are at least 3000 deliveries in a month and have denied any system failure or technical failure in the incident.

Sources say that a similar incident has also happened in Ahmedabad Civil Hospital as well. Meanwhile, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani was seen evading questions on the incident.

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Infant deaths in Rajasthan

Earlier today, with trouble mounting for the Rajasthan state government after over 100 infant deaths in Kota, disturbing reports have emerged from another hospital in Jodhpur of 146 infants' death in the month of December alone. "Ten out of a hundred children died within 48 hours between December 23 and 24, 2019. Reportedly, over 50 per cent of the gadgets installed in the hospital are defunct and the hospital is lacking cleanliness and basic infrastructure including oxygen supply in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)," the Commission said. 

In Dr. Sampurnanand Medical College in Jodhpur district, 146 infants have died in the past month. However, the hospital administration said that the death toll is low as compared to the number of children admitted in the hospital in December and added that the hospital gets very serious cases referred from other hospitals in the region which has led to the high number of deaths.

READ | Kota Infant Deaths: Congress' Pramod Tiwari Says Rajasthan Govt Doing Its 'best'

READ | Rajasthan: After Kota, 146 Infants Die In Jodhpur Hospital In December