4 More Kids Expire In J&K Hospital; Toll Reaches 362

4 More Kids Expire In J&K Hospital; Toll Reaches 362With four more baby demises at the G B Pant Children’s Hospital during the past 24-hours, Jammu and Kashmir administration on May 19 fired the Medical Superintendent in just 48-hours after his nomination.

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was in Srinagar regarding Congress meet, stated that the baby deaths at G B Pant was a “matter of disgrace”.

As per official sources, four babies expired at the hospital during the intervening night of May 18 and 19.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has forwarded an order to the retired physician Muneer Masoodi to join the hospital again as the Medical Superintendent

Around 362 babies have expired at G B Pant hospital, the single pediatric medical institution in Kashmir, since the commencement of 2012.

The Health Minister stated, “My ministry had sanctioned two paediatric hospitals of 200 bed capacities each for Srinagar and Jammu cities. But the State government has not been able to set up these hospitals.”

“Health is a state subject. It is the State government and not the Centre which is responsible for health care issues in J&K. While I was the Chief Minister of the state (2005-2008), we had allocated 70 kanals of land for the paediatric hospital. Two years ago as Union health minister, I released Rs 65 crore for it. But the same could not be utilised,” he said.