Opp seeks for Health minister’s head over Sishu Bhavan deaths

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Aug 27:

With death toll of infants at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics, better known as Sishu Bhavan, in Odisha’s Cuttack city mounting to 35 in the last seven days, the Opposition today upped its ante demanding the resignation of the Health & Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.

“Criminal cases should be registered for the death of infants. The state government is fully responsible for it. The Health Minister has no moral right to continue in his post,” said Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Opposition chief whip speaking to reporters.

“I fail to understand what kind of review the Minister did during his visit to the hospital yesterday. In spite of that, five infants have died today. That shows that this department has failed to manage Sishu Bhawan. The Minister should immediately resign from his post on moral grounds,” said Pradip Purohit BJP MLA.

But Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak ignored the call for his resignation and maintained that all possible steps were being taken to improve things at the premier hospital.

“We have decided to deploy six doctors, including professors, associate professors, assistant professors etc from SCB Medical College at Sishu Bhawan. Moreover, six senior staff nurses will be deployed there,” he said.

On the other hand, the Cuttack Nagar Yuvak Sangh today gheraoed the office of the RDC (central) demanding immediate improvement in the sorry state of affairs at the Sishu Bhawan.