The Tamil Nadu Government on Tuesday ordered a high level probe into the death of 11 infants in four days reported from Dharmapuri Government Medical College Hospital. The infant deaths were reported during the period from Saturday to Monday.
A meeting chaired by Chief Minister O Paneerselvan held at the Secretariat on Tuesday asked the Director of Medical Education to conduct a probe into the deaths and submit the findings at the earliest to the Government.
Hospital authorities said that most of the newborns were delivered in other hospitals and were brought to Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital in a critical state. "Out of the five children died on Saturday, three of them were kept in the incubator due to premature birth and low birth-weight issue. Two infants died of asphyxia," said a doctor in charge of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Out of the eleven infants, seven were girls. While relatives of the unfortunate infants complained about negligence on the part of the hospital authorities, Dr M Elangovan, dean, said, most of the infants were admitted to the hospital in various critical stages.
The incident coming into light after a sterilisation camp claimed the life of 12 women in Chattisgargh, has shocked the entire Tamil Nadu. A vasectomy camp for men organised at Tiruchi on Monday drew just two persons following the news from Chattisgargh.
Dr Ravichandran, an activist, said the indifference of the medical authorities towards pleas to appoint doctors in primary health centres and taluk hospitals has led to the present state of affairs in Dharmapuri, 300 km south of Chennai. "Though the Government appoints specialists in district general hospitals, most of the primary health centres do not have doctors or support staff. This is the reason why the parents have to rush the infants to the MCH," he said.