Though crores of rupees are spent through different schemes for safe delivery by pregnant women, but in the Sundargarh District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), 22 babies, including 10 babies in the womb, have died during last one and a half months.
While parents of the babies alleged that due to negligence by the concerned doctors, their babies died, hospital authorities have passed the buck to dearth of (O&G) specialists.
Several schemes have been in operation for pregnant women like Janani Surakhsa and Mamata to name a few, but they have failed to contain the infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MMR) during last one and a half months. According to sources, in the month of August, 10 babies died in the Sundargarh DHH of which five babies died in their mother’s womb and in September, 12 babies, including five in mother’s womb, died. Out of the 22 babies who lost their lives in Sundargarh DHH during last one and a half month, seven babies lost their lives within last seven days from September 12 to September 18. While the parents allege that due to negligence in treatment in hospital, the babies lost their lives, hospital authorities attributed it to the dearth of doctors in Sundargarh DHH, especially non-availability of Specialist (O&G) in all the CHCs at block level.
“It is really unfortunate and a cause of concern that babies are dying before and after birth due to lack of proper treatment facility. We are looking into it,” said CDMO SB Nayak, adding that as per requirement of three specialists (O&G) for Sundargarh DHH, only one Specialist (O&G) is available in the hospital.
Significantly, after a baby was found dead in mother’s womb recently in the Sundargarh DHH, father of the baby had lodged a complaint before the CDMO and also before the Sundargarh police, alleging negligence of treatment by specialist (O&G) Dr Pushpamitra Bhitria. A fact finding team is now investigating the case and police are awaiting for the report.