Acting tough, the Punjab Government on Monday ordered an inquiry into the deaths of five new-born babies in ludhiana Civil Hospital and also placed the hospital’s gynaecology head Alka Mittal under suspension for
“dereliction of duty”.
Besides, the Senior Medical Officer Dr RK Karkara has also been transferred “for not maintaining discipline in the medical institution”. Four newborns died on Sunday, while another death has been reported on Monday.
Giving out a clear message that those found negligent “would not be spared”, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has asked the officers to ascertain the “causes and circumstances” which led to the incident and submit the inquiry report at the earliest.
The probe committee, headed by the state Special Secretary (Health) Vikas Garg, recorded the statement of senior medical officer and other staff.
Assuring prompt action, Badal said that if laxity was found on the part of any public servant in dealing with this incident, he or she would “not be spared and brought to book as per the law of the land”. Badal, condoling the death of new-borns at ludhiana Civil Hospital, terming the incident as “unfortunate”.
“A high level probe has already been ordered into the sad and unfortunate demise of the infants. ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Rajat Agarwal has been asked to hold a thorough inquiry and submit the report to the government within a week. He has also been asked to have his own team of officers whether from head office or district to hold an independent inquiry into the entire incident,” said the state Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani.
“After the inquiry report, if any one from the health department was found guilty of carelessness or laxity in any manner then the department would give `1 lakh compensation to the families of the children,” he said.
Head gynaecologist Alka Mittal was placed under suspension after preliminary enquiries revealed that she did not come to the Civil Hospital in ludhiana on Sunday on time, forcing the hospital staff to carry out the deliveries.
Jayani had ordered a probe against Mittal on Sunday evening. The same doctor had been charge sheeted by the state health department earlier this month for negligence in discharging her duties.
Defending, Mittal had claimed that five delivery cases were already in critical condition when the mothers were brought to the hospital. She had said that the pregnant women were being shifted to the old wing of the hospital as the Operation Theatre in the new mother-child wing was not functional.
However, she could not justify her absence during duty hours and why the hospital staff had to carry out the deliveries instead of doctors.
Three days after the inauguration of a mother-child wing at the hospital, four new-borns died on Sunday during the process of delivery, which the families alleged were carried out by “Class-IV employees in the absence of gynaecologists”.
Affected families alleged that no doctors were available for delivery of the pregnant mothers and the hospital staff, that is class IV employees, started conducting the procedure leading to the deaths.
They alleged that the infants died due to negligence of hospital doctors and staff - a claim which was denied by the doctors.
Defending his doctors, the health Minister said that the doctors present at the time of procedure did try their best to save lives.
However, terming the incident as the “most regrettable in the history of Punjab”, Jayani said that unfortunately this incident had occurred when Punjab government was taking steps to strengthen the government medical institutions and was in the process of upgrading these institutions by providing adequate hi-tech infrastructure.
Jayani’s resignation demanded
Chandigarh: Terming the death of five newborns at ludhiana Civil Hospital as “complete criminal neglect”, Punjab Congress on Monday sought resignation of state Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani over the incident.
“Punjab Congress demands immediate resignation of state Health Minister for the death of newborns at ludhiana Civil Hospital,” said Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa.
Condemning the death of newborns in the strongest words, Bajwa said: “ludhiana is the economic capital of Punjab. If such type of incidents can happen here then you can very well imagine what will be the state of affairs in other parts of the state.”
He accused the SAD-BJP regime of having totally failed in the administration of the State. “The State is total mismanaged under the reigns of Akalis. There is complete ‘jungle raj’ (lawlessness),” he alleged.