Kota infant deaths: No point blaming BJP govt after being in power for a year, says Sachin Pilot

A day after two Rajasthan ministers blamed the BJP regime for the poor infrastructure at Kota's JK Lon Hospital, where 107 infants have died since December 1 last year, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot Saturday said it served no purpose in holding the previous government accountable after 13 months of being in power.

"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," ANI quoted Sachin Pilot as saying.

Lok Sabha Speaker and MP from Kota, Om Birla, also met the family members of one of the deceased infants. "I met some families of the infants who passed away in JK Lon hospital. We are standing with these families in this hour of grief. I have written twice to Rajasthan CM, suggesting steps to improve medical facilities," he was quoted as saying by ANI.

The JK Lon Hospital is the biggest such facility for children in the Kota division, with hundreds of patients coming every day from adjacent districts such as Baran, Bundi and Jhalawar — even from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.

On Friday, Health Minister Raghu Sharma, who visited the hospital, told The Indian Express that there was no clinical negligence behind the deaths, "but there have been cases of administrative negligence for which action will be taken against those responsible".

He also blamed the previous BJP government for not developing the infrastructure of the hospital. "They were there in power for five years. The financial approval of 60 beds, which the previous Congress government had given in 2012, where did that go? Had there been 60 beds, our bed strength would have been 102 and there wouldn't have been a need to put two children on one bed," said Sharma.

(Inputs and image from The Indian Express)