Accountability Should Be Fixed, No Point In Blaming Previous Govt: Sachin Pilot After Visiting Kota

In what seems to be a direct contradiction of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, his deputy Sachin Pilot on Saturday said that there was no point of blaming the previous governments over the infant death in Kota. Pilot, who visited JK Lon hospital, said that “data doesn’t matter, deaths are more important.” The visit came after interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi told Pilot to go to Kota and submit a report to her. “I think our response to this could have been more compassionate and sensitive. After being in power for 13 months I think it serves no purpose to blame the previous government’s misdeeds. Accountability should be fixed,” Pilot was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The statement is in direct contrast to what Gehlot has been saying on the hospital horror of Kota. Previously, Gehlot had cited that the number of deaths had come down compared to previous years and the issue should not be politicised. The Chief Minister had earlier said that “children do die” at the hospital, sparking a spate of public criticism.

Pilot’s visit comes on a day when the death count has reached 107.  Meanwhile, a high-level team of Centre, comprising of experts from Jodhpur, AIIMS and health economists, also visited JK Lon Maternal and Child Hospital and New Medical College Hospital in Kota to take stock of the situation. The team will access the infrastructural gaps and will ascertain how much funds will be required for strengthening it.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognizance of the incident and issued a notice to the state government. The notice has been issued to the Rajasthan Chief Secretary. The notice asked the state to submit a detailed report within four weeks and also mention the steps being taken to address the issue.

The NHRC has asked the state government to ensure that no such deaths occur in the future. The statement noted that ten out of a hundred children died within 48 hours between December 23 and 24, 2019.

The commission has issued notice to the chief secretary of the state, seeking a detailed report within four weeks, including on the steps being taken to address the issue and to ensure that in future children do not die due to lack of infrastructure and health facilities at the hospitals, it said.