The deaths of three newborn babies at the Community Health Centre (CHC) here within a span of 12 hours on Sunday have triggered deep resentment in the town.
The deaths took place a few hours before the arrival of Health Minister Pratap Jena, who unveiled a slew of projects at the CHC.
The doctors, however, denied negligence on their part and attributed the deaths to natural causes. CHC paediatrics doctor Santosh Panda said the babies were having severe life threatening conditions such as extremely low birth weight, acute respiratory problem, pneumonia and early onset of septicaemia and disseminated intravascular coagulation.
Dr Panda said he along with all designated staff of the CHC had tried with utmost efforts to save the infants,
The CDMO has ordered a probe into the circumstances and causes of the deaths.
The incidence has snowballed into a political storm ahead of the municipal elections in the town. The ground reality of medical care is far different from what is being claimed by the Health Minister, alleged local opposition parties’ leaders.