More than 60 children died at Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College last week.
Highlights
- Top court said grievances should be raised before Allahabad High Court
- More than 60 children died at Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College last week
- Many have blamed oxygen shortage in the hospital for the deaths
The Supreme Court today refused to intervene in the issue of Gorakhpur hospital deaths, saying the matter was being handled by the Uttar Pradesh government. Any grievances about it should be raised before the Allahabad High Court, the top court told a lawyer who mentioned the issue before it this morning.
The lawyer had mentioned the issue before a bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud. He also sought a probe by the Special Investigation Team into the matter.
The National Human Rights Panel sent notice to the state government and sought a report in four weeks.
Last week, more than 60 children died at Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College. Parents and others have blamed oxygen shortage for the deaths -- a claim the hospital has denied. The state government has already taken action, removing the doctor in charge of the paediatrics ward and suspending the hospital chief.
An investigation will also be conducted, said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during his visit to the hospital yesterday, and promised exemplary punishment for the guilty. Union minister JP Nadda, who had accompanied the Chief Minister, ruled out a separate investigation by the Centre, saying the state government had its "full support".
The oxygen supply had been stopped by the vendor after the hospital had defaulted on the payment. On Thursday, the hospital had been functioning without any oxygen cylinders for two hours.
The Chief Minister has said it would be "heinous" if the children had died because of a disruption in oxygen supply. He also said the government had cleared the payment for the oxygen vendor on August 7. The hospital, however, had not released the funds till August 11.