BJP to Protest Against Infant Deaths in Odisha on 2 September

Bhubaneswar: Accusing the BJD government of failing to take steps to check rising infant deaths at Sishu Bhawan at Cuttack, BJP today said it would stage protest across the state on September 2 to highlight the crumbling health services in Odisha.

Hitting out at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the "pathetic situation" at Sishu Bhavan, senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra alleged the chief minister neither bothered to visit the premier medical facility nor did he initiate prompt action to check infant deaths which soared to at least 47 in a span of 9 days.

"Unabated deaths of children at the Sishu Bhavan has triggered panic among people across the state, but the chief minister seems to be indifferent. He is yet to wake up despite widespread hue and cry," Mr Mohapatra told reporters in Bhubaneswar.

Though the "Sishu Bhawan" has been suffering from severe manpower shortage, fragile infrastructure and absence of necessary equipment and laboratory facilities, the state government had failed to take timely action and allowed the situation to slip out of control, he alleged.

"All these prove complete inefficiency and callousness on the part of the state government," the BJP leader said, adding deaths of babies could have been checked had the government responded to the situation properly by opening a control room and taking emergency measures.

"The CAG has also slammed the state government over fragile health services and gross inadequacies in hospitals and medical colleges in the state," he said.

In protest against the state government's "casual approach," BJP workers and activists would hit the streets and stage dharna in all 314 block offices across the state on September 2, Mr Mohapatra said.

In urban areas, the party activists would protest outside offices of chief district medical officers (CDMOs) and ADMOs, he said.