BJP demands probe after newborn dies in Delhi hospital
New Delhi: Delhi BJP spokesperson, Praveen Shankar Kapoor, has written a letter to Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena, requesting a probe after a newborn died at the Kasturba Gandhi Hospital here, due to a power outage.
In the letter, he mentioned that the Delhi BJP President, Virendra Sachdeva, has formed a team of five councillors, led by state Vice President Yogita Singh, who will visit the hospital for inspection.
Expressing his concern, Kapoor stated that Kasturba Gandhi Hospital is the largest maternity hospital in Asia.
He also accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of not providing funds for the hospital’s maintenance for the past 10 years and said that once a specialised hospital for women, it is now in poor condition.
As a result, the hospital’s wards and hostels are in a dilapidated state, yet women continue to visit for treatment.
He further pointed out that the hospital’s Medical Superintendent issued an internal order allowing the power to be cut off for repairs on August 22, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., without ensuring an alternative power supply for critical areas like the ventilators and operation theatres.
This negligence led to the death of the newborn who was on a ventilator, and two deliveries had to be conducted by candlelight.
The Delhi BJP spokesperson urged the Lieutenant Governor to personally inspect the hospital’s condition and investigate the incident of the newborn’s death and the deliveries that occurred by candlelight on August 22.
It may be noted the baby who died was just a week old and was on the ventilator due to breathing difficulties. The power outage lasted longer than expected, causing significant distress to the patients and their families.
Two other deliveries were also carried out under inadequate lighting conditions due to the lack of proper power arrangements in the labour room.