BJP responsible for infant deaths at Kota's JK Lon hospital: Dhariwal

While talking to reporters in Kota, Rajasthan Local Self Government Minister Shanti Kumar Dhariwal held Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government responsible for the rising infant death toll which has mounted to 100 in nearly a month. According to statistics released by the state government, the death toll in the government-run hospital has been the lowest this year.

Jaipur:Rajasthan Local Self Government Minister Shanti Kumar Dhariwal, who is on a two-day visit to Kota chaired a meeting with officials at government run-JK Lon Hospital on Monday, which was recently in the news following a large number of deaths of infants in December.

While speaking to reporters after the meeting, Dhariwal held Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government responsible for the infant death toll which has mounted to 100 in nearly a month.

"A few days ago, BJP ministers who reached the hospital to take stock of the situation were accompanied by media persons, who were purposely called to discredit the image of the hospital. Media persons were made to stay at 5-star hotels and everything was planned in order to bring a bad name to the hospital," Dhariwal said.

According to statistics released by the state government, the death toll in the government-run hospital has been the lowest this year.

The death toll has risen due to irresponsibility and mismanagement of the BJP government, he said, adding that most of the cases have occurred between 2014-2018.

The minister also directed officials to construct a separate outpatient department (OPD) blocks for JK Lon Hospital and Maharao Bhimsingh Hospital in Kota district to ensure patients do not face problems.

He also instructed the officials to change the facade of the main building in JK Lon Hospital and include necessary facilities in the new OPD block including adequate space for parking vehicles.

Along with the proposed OPD block, a neonatal intensive care unit and paediatric intensive care unit ward at JK Lon Hospital was also proposed and Dhariwal instructed the engineers of the Urban Improvement Trust to submit a report under the Smart Cities scheme.

Claiming that the state government would spend Rs27 crore for the development of infrastructure at the hospital, he said," The facilities for indoor patients will be improved and 156 more beds will be added to the existing 157."