The entire medical community in India should hang its head in shame over what has happened. Close to 70 small children, some even neonates, have died in the big hospital affiliated to the local B R D Medical College in the last three days. And those are the official figures!
We also have to take into account that deaths from encephalitis in the private hospitals never get reported. Additionally more than 50% of the encephalitis cases in the interiors never get to reach the city hospitals.
By now, thanks to extensive media coverage, most of us would have gained acquaintance of the issues involved. The representatives of the media noticed a dramatic hike in mortality rates in the last few days. It was then discovered that the hospital had run out of oxygen supplies because of the non-payment to the suppliers. The hike in the mortality rate, more than twice over the preceding days, coincided with the oxygen supplies being terminated.
