Inside the decrepit children&#39;s ward at an Indian hospital where 85 infants died last week, Ram Prasad prayed his two-year-old daughter would escape the same fate as he scanned the overcrowded hallways for a doctor.

His plight in &#39;Ward 100&#39;, where the death of so many children has sparked outrage, is emblematic of a healthcare crisis where doctors are stretched to breaking point and hospitals run out of oxygen due to unpaid bills.

Authorities have launched an inquiry into the causes of the oxygen disruption at the now-notorious Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur, which Indian media has linked to the deaths of 30 infants last Thursday and&nbsp;Friday.

Local officials have blamed an outbreak of encephalitis for the deaths and denied a lack of oxygen was responsible.

But doctors and medical experts point to woeful underfunding in public health in eastern Uttar Pradesh, one of India&#39;s poorest regions, where just a handful of specialists are available to treat millions.

&quot;This (deaths) won&#39;t change soon, as it isn&#39;t a simple oxygen issue. The rot is deep and the system needs to be overhauled,&quot; a senior hospital official told AFP in Gorakhpur, speaking on condition of anonymity.

India was spending just 1.4 per cent of its GDP on public health in 2014 which is far below the global average of six per cent.

In Gorakhpur, there are just 529 primary health care clinics, less than half the number needed to cater for nearly 4.5 million people living in the district, July data from Brookings India shows.

There are just five paediatricians and 22 encephalitis treatment centres, despite the mosquito-borne illness wreaking havoc in low-lying areas of the state every year during the monsoon.

India&#39;s most populous states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are ravaged by encephalitis every year.

The disease, which affects mainly malnourished children, causes brain inflammation and can result in headaches, seizures, fever and even brain damage.

Professor K.P Kushwaha, who headed Baba Raghav Das Medical College until mid-2015, said the hospital could not cope with the volume of patients.

&quot;The government now needs to make at least five such hospitals across the region to tackle this load and get better results,&quot; he told AFP.

&nbsp;Life and death&nbsp;

Prasad, a poor farmer from Uttar Pradesh, travelled roughly 65 kilometres (40 miles) with his wife and two-year-old daughter after the infant suddenly ran a high fever.

He arrived at Baba Raghav Das Medical College just hours after hospital authorities declared that another 25 infants had died over the weekend.

Prasad&#39;s daughter was found a bed in the overcrowded ward, where many parents were forced to squat on the floor in nearby corridors. It was worse in the neo-natal unit, where three to four infants crowded a single bed.

&quot;We take turns to go out in the corridor and hall to rest, while the other one stands here,&quot; Prasad told AFP,&nbsp;gesturing to his wife and ill daughter.

&quot;She probably has pneumonia, I don&#39;t know, the doctors haven&#39;t told me anything.&quot;

Just days earlier, panicked parents used manual pumps to help their stricken children as the supply of oxygen fizzled out.

Professor K.P Kushwaha&#39;s successor was stood down over the oxygen debacle, which allegedly stemmed from nearly $100,000 in overdue bills, some dating back to November.

His replacement, P.K Singh, promised conditions at the hospital would improve &quot;whatever the shortcomings&quot;.

&quot;I understand that the hygiene situation here is very bad and there is a risk of infection,&quot; Singh told AFP.

But the district&#39;s chief medical officer Ravindra Kumar told AFP nothing could change as long as encephalitis plagued the poor eastern region.

&quot;So far we have only been shooting in the dark without much idea about its causes, prevention or the cure,&quot; he told AFP.

A lack of primary health centres meant illnesses were not detected early and by the time patients arrived at hospitals it was too late, said a local government official, gesturing to beds full of sickly children.

&quot;If people like them get the right advice and prompt referral, it can make the difference between life and death,&quot; he told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Local officials have blamed an outbreak of encephalitis for the deaths and denied a lack of oxygen was responsible

Inside the decrepit children's ward at an Indian hospital where 85 infants died last week, Ram Prasad prayed his two-year-old daughter would escape the same fate as he scanned the overcrowded hallways for a doctor. His plight in 'Ward 100', where the death of so many children has sparked outrage, is emblematic of a healthcare crisis where doctors are stretched to breaking point and hospitals run out of oxygen due to unpaid bills. Authorities have launched an inquiry into the causes of the oxygen disruption at the now-notorious Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur, which Indian media has linked to the deaths of 30 infants last Thursday and Friday. Local officials have blamed an outbreak of encephalitis for the deaths and denied a lack of oxygen was responsible. But doctors and medical experts point to woeful underfunding in public health in eastern Uttar Pradesh, one of India's poorest regions, where just a handful of specialists are available to treat millions. "This (deaths) won't change soon, as it isn't a simple oxygen issue. The rot is deep and the system needs to be overhauled," a senior hospital official told AFP in Gorakhpur, speaking on condition of anonymity. India was spending just 1.4 per cent of its GDP on public health in 2014 which is far below the global average of six per cent. In Gorakhpur, there are just 529 primary health care clinics, less than half the number needed to cater for nearly 4.5 million people living in the district, July data from Brookings India shows. There are just five paediatricians and 22 encephalitis treatment centres, despite the mosquito-borne illness wreaking havoc in low-lying areas of the state every year during the monsoon. India's most populous states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are ravaged by encephalitis every year. The disease, which affects mainly malnourished children, causes brain inflammation and can result in headaches, seizures, fever and even brain damage. Professor K.P Kushwaha, who headed Baba Raghav Das Medical College until mid-2015, said the hospital could not cope with the volume of patients. "The government now needs to make at least five such hospitals across the region to tackle this load and get better results," he told AFP. Life and death Prasad, a poor farmer from Uttar Pradesh, travelled roughly 65 kilometres (40 miles) with his wife and two-year-old daughter after the infant suddenly ran a high fever. He arrived at Baba Raghav Das Medical College just hours after hospital authorities declared that another 25 infants had died over the weekend. Prasad's daughter was found a bed in the overcrowded ward, where many parents were forced to squat on the floor in nearby corridors. It was worse in the neo-natal unit, where three to four infants crowded a single bed. "We take turns to go out in the corridor and hall to rest, while the other one stands here," Prasad told AFP, gesturing to his wife and ill daughter. "She probably has pneumonia, I don't know, the doctors haven't told me anything." Just days earlier, panicked parents used manual pumps to help their stricken children as the supply of oxygen fizzled out. Professor K.P Kushwaha's successor was stood down over the oxygen debacle, which allegedly stemmed from nearly $100,000 in overdue bills, some dating back to November. His replacement, P.K Singh, promised conditions at the hospital would improve "whatever the shortcomings". "I understand that the hygiene situation here is very bad and there is a risk of infection," Singh told AFP. But the district's chief medical officer Ravindra Kumar told AFP nothing could change as long as encephalitis plagued the poor eastern region. "So far we have only been shooting in the dark without much idea about its causes, prevention or the cure," he told AFP. A lack of primary health centres meant illnesses were not detected early and by the time patients arrived at hospitals it was too late, said a local government official, gesturing to beds full of sickly children. "If people like them get the right advice and prompt referral, it can make the difference between life and death," he told AFP on condition of anonymity.

'Rot is deep' at Indian hospital where 85 children died

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is constantly monitoring the situation in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh where at least <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/30-children-die-in-gorakhpur-hospital-in-a-span-of-48-hours-18913" target="_blank">30 children died in a hospital</a> and is in touch with central and state authorities, the PMO said today.

Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel and the Union health secretary will take stock of the situation in Gorakhpur, the Prime Minister&#39;s Office (PMO) said.

District Magistrate of Gorakhpur Rajeev Rautela had said yesterday that at least 30 children died in the state-run Baba Raghav Das Medical College within 48 hours since August 10.

Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh had said that according to reports from the paediatric department of the college, 60 children died due to various diseases since August 7.

Though the Gorakhpur district magistrate had not given any reason for the deaths, an official here had said that according to the Gorakhpur superintendent of police (SP), 21 children died due to oxygen supply shortage.

&quot;According to the Gorakhpur SP, 21 children died due to shortage of supply of liquid oxygen in BRD Medical College. Senior officers are at the spot. Exact cause is being verified by the civil administration,&quot; the official, who did not to be identified, had said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/gorakhpur-hospital-deaths-cm-yogi-adityanath-orders-probe-strict-action-18920" target="_blank">The Uttar Pradesh government said today that those found guilty</a> in the &quot;tragic and painful&quot; incident would face &quot;stringent action&quot;.

&quot;Whosoever is found guilty in the tragic and painful incident at Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur will certainly face stringent action,&quot; Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya told reporters in Lucknow.

Health Minister Singh and state Medical Education Minister Ashutosh Tandon today visit Gorakhpur to take stock of the situation at the medical college.

District Magistrate of Gorakhpur Rajeev Rautela had said yesterday that at least 30 children died in the state-run Baba Raghav Das Medical College within 48 hours

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is constantly monitoring the situation in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh where at least 30 children died in a hospital and is in touch with central and state authorities, the PMO said today. Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel and the Union health secretary will take stock of the situation in Gorakhpur, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said. District Magistrate of Gorakhpur Rajeev Rautela had said yesterday that at least 30 children died in the state-run Baba Raghav Das Medical College within 48 hours since August 10. Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh had said that according to reports from the paediatric department of the college, 60 children died due to various diseases since August 7. Though the Gorakhpur district magistrate had not given any reason for the deaths, an official here had said that according to the Gorakhpur superintendent of police (SP), 21 children died due to oxygen supply shortage. "According to the Gorakhpur SP, 21 children died due to shortage of supply of liquid oxygen in BRD Medical College. Senior officers are at the spot. Exact cause is being verified by the civil administration," the official, who did not to be identified, had said. The Uttar Pradesh government said today that those found guilty in the "tragic and painful" incident would face "stringent action". "Whosoever is found guilty in the tragic and painful incident at Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur will certainly face stringent action," Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya told reporters in Lucknow. Health Minister Singh and state Medical Education Minister Ashutosh Tandon today visit Gorakhpur to take stock of the situation at the medical college.

PM Modi constantly monitoring the situation in Gorakhpur: PMO

Thirty children have lost their lives in a span of 48 hours in &nbsp;&nbsp; Gorakhpur&#39;s BRD hospital due to encephalitis.

According to reports in the media, the deaths occurred due to a disruption in oxygen&nbsp;supply.

The agency&nbsp;which supplied oxygen to the hospital stopped it as the hospital didn&#39;t pay up around 66 lakh rupees owed to them, reports said. &nbsp;

Rajeev Rautela, the district magistrate of Gorakhpur, while confirming the deaths of 30 children in the last 48 hours, said that the supply of liquid oxygen was disrupted yesterday due to pending payment and the suppliers were requested not to disrupt supply. &nbsp;

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Supply of liquid oxygen was disrupted y&#39;day due to pending payment. Requested suppliers not to disrupt supply: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gorakhpur?src=hash">#Gorakhpur</a> DM Rajeev Rautela
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/896014003675078657">August 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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According&nbsp;to ANI. the deaths of 30 children at the BRD hospital in Gorakhpur happened due to encephalitis.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Visuals?src=hash">#Visuals</a>: 30 children lost their lives due to encephalitis in last 48 hours at Gorakhpur&#39;s Baba Raghav Das Medical College <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UttarPradesh?src=hash">#UttarPradesh</a> <a href="https://t.co/GZQRbAmfUx">pic.twitter.com/GZQRbAmfUx</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/896008967469416448">August 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who represented Gorakhpur in Lok Sabha, had visited the hospital two days ago for inspection.

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Various reports in the media suggested that the deaths occurred due to disruption in oxygen supply

Thirty children have lost their lives in a span of 48 hours in Gorakhpur's BRD hospital due to encephalitis. According to reports in the media, the deaths occurred due to a disruption in oxygen supply. The agency which supplied oxygen to the hospital stopped it as the hospital didn't pay up around 66 lakh rupees owed to them, reports said. Rajeev Rautela, the district magistrate of Gorakhpur, while confirming the deaths of 30 children in the last 48 hours, said that the supply of liquid oxygen was disrupted yesterday due to pending payment and the suppliers were requested not to disrupt supply. Supply of liquid oxygen was disrupted y'day due to pending payment. Requested suppliers not to disrupt supply: #Gorakhpur DM Rajeev Rautela — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 11, 2017 × According to ANI. the deaths of 30 children at the BRD hospital in Gorakhpur happened due to encephalitis. #Visuals: 30 children lost their lives due to encephalitis in last 48 hours at Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das Medical College #UttarPradesh pic.twitter.com/GZQRbAmfUx — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 11, 2017 × Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who represented Gorakhpur in Lok Sabha, had visited the hospital two days ago for inspection.

30 children die in Gorakhpur hospital in a span of 48 hours