West Bengal Govt probes 60 infant deaths in three weeks
The West Bengal Government has demanded detailed information on reported deaths of at least 60 infants in the first three weeks of August, including 10 in a single day in Malda district of North Bengal.
The reports have been sought from the Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMCH), where most of the deaths occurred, Health Department sources said, adding private nursing homes too have been asked to be scrutinized for any deaths in the corresponding period.
MMCH doctors said that the deaths had occurred because of a number of reasons, adding a number of deaths had been “referral cases” sent from the block-level centres.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of staff said that a preliminary report had already been sent by the Medical Superintendent adding, 16 other hospitals had also been investigated.
Bengal Health Minister Saradwath Mukherjee had been regularly visiting the hospitals, including conducting surprise checks, sources said. Meanwhile, in a parallel development, the Health Department had questioned several fourth-year students of two prominent medical colleges regarding reports of an inter-state blood smuggling selling racket.
Three lab technicians had also been questioned from Panskura in West Midnapore district.
Recent investigations had unmasked a blood-smuggling racket that involved selling blood from local Government hospitals to private entities and individual buyers outside Bengal.
The states where the bloods were smuggled out included Bihar, Jharkhand and even Mumbai, sources said.
