Dr Kafeel Khan blames Yogi Adityanath government

KOCHI: Dr Kafeel Khan, arrested by Uttar Pradesh police in the wake of the death of nearly 60 children at the BRD Hospital in Gorakhpur in August 2017, on Saturday lashed out at the Yogi Adithyanath administration and said his family was harassed by cops while he was in jail.

Speaking at a civic reception organised jointly by the 'Solidarity Youth Movement' and 'United Against Hate' here, the doctor, who secured bail after spending nearly eight months in jail, said he was taken into custody while trying to save the lives of children dying due to lack of oxygen.  The doctor with specialisation in paediatric care gave a detailed account of his nightmarish experience in the past eight months.

Seeking the support of the civil society in Kerala to fight the fascist tendencies enveloping the country, Dr Khan said he considered himself lucky to come out alive from the jail. "My family members feared for the worst," he said in a choked voice.  The doctor said he wanted to set up a 500-bed hospital for the treatment of encephalitis where both treatment and medicines would be given free. Media commentator Sebastian Paul, writer N.M. Pierson and many others spoke at the function.