Gorakhpur tragedy: Suspended medical college principal Dr Rajeev Mishra resigns

Dr Rajeev Mishra, the Principal of the Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur resigned from the post on Saturday. He was suspended following the death of 30 infants within a span of 48 hours since August 10.

UP Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh confirmed Mishra’s resignation saying the latter has resigned from the post. “Yes, he has resigned. But no good, because we have already suspended him and initiated enquiry of his misdoings,” he said.

Mishra submitted his resignation letter to the Director General of Medical Education and Training. In the letter, he said that he tendered his resignation from the post taking the moral responsibility for the recent death of 30 children admitted in the hospital’s paediatric ward.

ALSO READ | Gorakhpur tragedy: Will not spare those responsible for child deaths, says CM Yogi Adityanath

Earlier, the Health Minister and state Medical Education Minister Ashutosh Tandon had said that Mishra was suspended for his “irresponsible act” of allegedly delaying payment to the supplier of oxygen cylinders. The duo also said that a probe, led by the state chief secretary, had been ordered.

On Saturday, breaking his silence over the heart-wrenching Gorakhpur tragedy, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that dirtiness and open defecation were responsible for the deaths of children.

“Encephalitis disease exists since 1978, if innocents from Eastern UP are dying untimely deaths, then issues related to sanitation and open defecation are responsible for it,” CM Adityanath said.

ALSO READ: Gorakhpur hospital deaths not natural, oxygen supply was cut off, says BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj