6 babies die at Malda hospital

After BC Roy hospital in Kolkata, it is now the turn of Malda district hospital where at least six babies died within last 24 hours. The hospital authority is trying to wash their hands off the incident by denying any fault on part of the doctors. But the number of deaths, they conceded, is abnormal. A probe has already been ordered.

The hospital superintendent Dr H Ari said, "The babies were either underweight or suffering from acute diseases. Doctors had little to do in these deaths." Naren Mandal and Beauty Mandal of Kamalpur village had come to district hospital with their 4-day-old daughter on November 7. The baby who was suffering from breathing problem succumbed to her ailment at 9am on Tuesday. On the same day, the 4-month-old baby of Lakkhan Mandal of Manikchak got admitted to the hospital and died after two hours.

Rupchand Oraon's 9-month -old baby, suffering from pneumonia, was referred to District hospital. But after few hours of treatment, the baby died around 8.15am. Astara Biwi of Kaliachak was another unfortunate mother who gave birth to a daughter at District Hospital on Monday night. But the baby died on Tuesday morning. Equally unfortunate was Jharna Sarkar, of Mahananda Pally. Her newborn son was alive for four hours.

The last victim was Kamana Mandal of Gajole who had to take her 6-month-old daughter to district hospital. But in the afternoon the baby died.

Director of Health Services Dr S P Basak said, "The primary report from the hospital claims that the babies were either suffering from bronchopneumonia or asphyxia. Some of them were born premature. However, we have sought the detailed report of individual deaths from the hospital authority." The victims have not yet lodged a formal complaint. The hospital authority blamed it on the lack of infrastructure with only one paediatric doctor in the hospital in place of four.