The Knowledge Base for Civil Services Examination

  • Latest Articles
  • ForumIAS FREE Initiatives
    • UPSC Current Affairs Questions and Answer Writing – Mains Marathon
    • Prelims Marathon
    • 9 PM Brief ❤️
    • 10 PM Daily Quiz
  • Free Downloads
  • Discussions
  • ❤️❤️ Academy
  • Test Series & Courses →
  • Noticeboards
  • Announcement
  • 🎥 Videos
  • Subscribe for updates
  • Results

Gorakhpur Hospital Tragedy: insufficient oxygen supply not the sole reason

  • 14 Aug, 2017
  • Post By : ForumIAS
  • Category : NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL & SOCIAL

Context:

  • The death of over 30 children within a span of 48 hours at the government-run Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College hospital in Gorakhpur, Uttar pradesh, isn’t merely about oxygen cylinders and unpaid bills but it is a consequence of many deeper problems.

The tragedy:

  • 60 deaths have been reported in the children’s department of the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College hospital in Gorakhpur from August 7th to 11th, 2017.
  • Infections and possible disruption of oxygen supply in the paediatrics ward are being blamed for the death
  • Reports says that the company that supplied the oxygen had previously issued notice to the hospital on large unpaid bills but only a high-level judicial inquiry will have credibility.
  • However, the hospital and district administration have rejected the contention that inadequate oxygen supply led to the tragedy.
  • Among ailments, Japanese encephalitis is claimed to be the major reason for the tragedy.

Present medical care in Uttar Pradesh:

  1. The Centre has a vaccination programme in place and a stated commitment to build paediatric intensive care units in priority districts.
  2. The Uttar Pradesh state government runs government medical colleges at Agra, Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur and Meerut besides a medical university as well as a super-specialty hospital at Lucknow; plans are afoot to develop four more super-specialty hospitals in various locations.
  3. The Department of Medical, Health and Family Welfare of the state government was set up in 1921 and through its ‘Provincial Medical and Health Services’ it has been responsible for provided related services to even the remotest rural areas in the densely populated state.
  • Almost half of the districts in Uttar Pradesh are covered by Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programs implemented by non-profit organizations supported ably by state agencies and The United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
  • These projects are based on the social franchisee method, the aim being to create sustainable PPP models that can reach out to the marginalized populations through a network of franchised hospitals that offer quality medical services across all areas.
  1. Effective medical care in meeting emergency needs and requirements of the people, including maternal healthcare and child care services are at the core of many programs run in government hospitals in the state.

The deeper problems:

Despite the existing medical facilities and healthcare infrastructure what proved to be largely inadequate to prevent the death of he children? The reasons are as follows:

  1. Gorkhapur is the worst-affected region in the state due to encephalitis. Although vaccines are available, there is no such vaccine for checking Acute Encephalitis Syndrome.
  • Since 2012, 3,000 children suffering from Japanese Encephalitis have reportedly died at BRD Hospital.
  • Encephalitis is correlated with expansion of irrigation and construction of dams four decades ago, resulting in an increase in disease-transmitting mosquitoes.
  1. India’s abysmally low public spending on healthcare also tops the list of drawbacks.
  • The infant mortality rate in India in 2015 was 38, according to the World Bank—far better than the 165 in 1960 but lagging comparable countries such as Bangladesh (31), Indonesia (23) and Sri Lanka (08).
  • And the situation in even worse in some large states such as Uttar Pradesh, where around 50 out of every 1,000 children die before they reach the age of five.
  1. Another problem with India’s healthcare system is acute manpower shortage.
  • The country has only about one doctor for every 1,700 patients whereas the World Health Organization (WHO) prescribes at least one for every 1,000 patients.
  • In other words, there is a shortage of about 500,000 doctors.
  1. The fourth problem is that a vast majority of people do not have health insurance in a country.
  • India’s inability to find a workable model for taxation or insurance has left its poor particularly vulnerable.

Suggestions:

  • The Medical Council of India (MCI) will have to reform the entire medical education system if these gaps of medical facilities have to be filled.
  • In the meantime, more healthcare providers need to be brought into the system, including nurses, optometrists, anaesthetists and AYUSH (ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy) workers.
  • Nurses especially can and should be empowered so that they can take off some of the load from physicians.
  • The Indian Council of Medical Research needs to launch a special commission for U.P., treating it as a public health emergency.
  • Such a system should be non-commercial and regulated to contain costs, giving everyone affordable access to doctors, diagnostics and treatment.
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Share
WhatsApp
Tweet
+1
0 Shares
« Benchmark for science: Customized human embryos for a healthy life Need for the US to wind down war talk with North Korea »

IFoS Interview Preparation

Search Articles

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Search in posts
Search in pages

Latest Articles

  • Must Read News Articles – February 19th, 2019 19 Feb, 2019
  • Mains Marathon Daily Current Affairs Questions and Answer Writing – February 19, 2019 19 Feb, 2019
  • 10 PM Current Affairs Quiz : February 18, 2019 18 Feb, 2019
  • 9 PM Current Affairs Brief – February 18, 2019 18 Feb, 2019
  • 7 PM | Urban settlements | 18 February, 2019
    7 PM | Urban settlements | 18 February, 2019 18 Feb, 2019
  • Panel backs old system for oil block bid
    Panel backs old system for oil block bid 18 Feb, 2019
  • Scientists discover massive mountains under Earth’s crust
    Scientists discover massive mountains under Earth’s crust 18 Feb, 2019
  • Farmer Suicides: 90,000 Farmers Counselled in 14 Maharashtra Districts
    Farmer Suicides: 90,000 Farmers Counselled in 14 Maharashtra Districts 18 Feb, 2019
  • States allocation: panel sticks to 2011 census
    States allocation: panel sticks to 2011 census 18 Feb, 2019
  • Sterlite closure: downstream units await SC ruling today
    Sterlite closure: downstream units await SC ruling today 18 Feb, 2019

Popular Topics: Subjectwise

Recent Comments

  • 7 PM Daily Editorials Brief – July 19th, 2018 (US Sanction on Russia and its Impact on India) | on US Sanction on Russia and its Impact on India
  • 7 PM Daily Editorials Brief – July 18th, 2018 (Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, 2017- an Analysis) | on Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, 2017- an Analysis
  • 7 PM Daily Editorials Brief – July 18th, 2018 | on Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, 2017- an Analysis
  • 7 PM Daily Editorials Brief – July 17th, 2018 (Section 377) | on Section 377
  • 7 PM Daily Editorials Brief – July 16th, 2018 (Net Neutrality) | on Net Neutrality

ForumIAS is India’s leading Online website for UPSC IAS Exam Online Preparation and guidance. At ForumIAS, we have a dream. Our dream is to make its members achieve their IAS dream. Today thousands of aspirants have joined the elite services such as IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS and other central and state services with the right inputs provided by ForumIAS. Take a look at our IAS Toppers

Free IAS Online Preparation Initiatives by ForumIAS
Current affairs is the most important part of UPSC IAS exam. ForumIAS provides a detailed analysis of important news articles through its 9PM brief. In current affairs reading Editorials Online needs an in-depth focus and hence we provide a separate analysis of daily editorials which is not found in any other website. Click the following link to access these free preparation initiatives in Portal . ForumIAS also provides compilations and Free downloads for UPSC IAS preparation
Knowing is never enough for IAS exam. An IAS aspirant must be engaged in answer writing practice to do well in UPSC IAS Mains Exam. ForumIAS has launched a Mains Marathon initiative for IAS mains Online answer writing. Click here to access UPSC Mains Marathon initiative . For Daily Must Read Newspaper articles, Visit Must Read Newspaper page here. Must Read Newspaper is an Initiative by Team ForumIAS to provide Current Affairs links to the Must Read Articles of The Day from Newspaper.

UPSC Syllabus

The most important part of UPSC IAS exam is its syllabus and there is a need to take an in-depth look at it. Click here to view the UPSC IAS Prelims syllabus. Visit UPSC IAS syllabus page here

UPSC IAS Study Material

ForumIAS is the repository of many toppers’ Online study materials for GS Mains and Optional subjects. The most unique thing about it is that they are handwritten by toppers themselves. Click here for UPSC sample notes

Interview Preparation for IAS

Interview is the last and crucial stage for becoming an IAS officer. How to prepare for it? We provide a solution. ForumIAS is the only online website where quality IAS interview preparations happen. Online Current affairs from an interview perspective are extensively discussed and specific preparation based on candidate’s profile and hobbies can be done. Please visit this link for UPSC Interview Preparation
At ForumIAS we have an exclusive Online page to read the UPSC Interview Transcripts

Indian Forest Service (IFoS)
IFoS is one of the most sought after All India Service. ForumIAS provides the right approach to excel in this exam through their toppers who have shared their success mantras and their study materials in an elaborate manner.

About Indian Administrative Service (IAS)

IAS is considered as one of the best jobs on earth. IAS officers hold the most important positions in Central and State Governments and in Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). They also represent India in international organizations. They take the most important decisions in the administration of Government policies and development programs.

About Indian Police Service (IPS)
IPS officers occupy higher positions in the State Police Departments, Central Armed Police Forces and Intelligence Agencies. Their most important responsibilities are maintenance of Law and Order and internal security.

About Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
IFS officers serve as diplomats in international missions and embassies of India around the world and in prominent international organizations like United Nations (UN), World Bank, and IMF. They work to promote India’s interests from a bilateral and a global perspective.
The Study portal is a single point of online IAS preparation through its several initiatives like the Must Read News Articles, the 9 PM Brief, the Mains Marathon. If you are preparing for IAS exam online, ForumIAS is the place to go. ForumIAS is proud of ForumIAS Alumni in UPSC Service who have secured top Ranks in past 5 years.

Our Initiatives

Must Read News Articles
Prelims Marathon
Mains Marathon
Toppers Interview
Preparation Strategy
9 PM BRIEF

Site Links

Discussion Forum
ForumIAS Academy
Blog
Portal ( Deprecated )
FAQ
Copyright @ForumIAS.com