Opposition cites Odisha CM’s indifference over Sishu Bhawan

Bhubaneswar, Sep 1: Opposition parties in Odisha on Tuesday trained their guns at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for not visiting Sishu Bhawan even after 52 infant deaths were reported at the referral hospital in the past two weeks.

Holding the state government responsible for the rising deaths of infants, Pradesh Congress Committee president Prasad Harichandan said the chief minister is busy in unveiling plaques while infants are dying every day due to the negligence of the administration.

Harichandan said it shows the chief minister’s casual and indifferent approach towards dealing with the problem. Alleging that no concrete step was taken by the government to tackle the situation, he demanded the resignation of the health minister.

Utkal Bharat Party president Kharabela Swain said that the issues of doctor scarcity and activation of defunct machinery at the premier paediatric institute should be addressed soon. Swain also urged the media not to spread panic among the people brining their patients to the health institution.

The state BJP has decided to stage a sit-in at all 314 blocks in the state on September 2 to protest the government’s failure to provide adequate health facilities to the infants, resulting in a spate of deaths. Fifty-two infants have died in Sishu Bhawan in the last 12 days, according to health department sources.