The deaths of three infants, in the space of five days, have sent shockwaves among child protection groups in the district. All three babies were abandoned by their parents and admitted to the government general hospital here.
Anandraj, convener of the Gulbarga District Child Protection Committee told The Hindu here on Sunday that the first death was on August 28. A baby boy, abandoned by his parents at the government hospital in Yadgir, was shifted for treatment to the government general hospital here.
The second death was on August 30. The male infant, in this case, was rescued by members of the Don Bosco PYaR and the Child Protection Group near Kamalapur and admitted to the government general hospital here on August 1. The boy was found in a garbage bin by an agricultural labourer, who saved him from an attack by wild pigs.
Mr. Anandraj said that the third male child, who was rescued by Yadgir citizens from an attack by street dogs and admitted to the government hospital here on July 26, died on Sunday.
According to doctors, all three deaths were caused by septicaemia, which is caused by multiplication of certain bacteria in the bloodstream.
Mr. Anandraj blamed the doctors and paramedical staff for the deaths, and pointed out that the District Surgeon had written a letter couple of days back stating that all the abandoned children admitted in the hospital were fit for discharge and should be taken care of by the Child Protection Committee. He wondered how the infants which were deemed healthy so recently had developed health problems this quickly.
He said the abandoned children, who were kept in a segregated ward in the hospital, were not given timely care by paramedical staff, or even fed regularly.
He alleged that the neglect of the hospital staff had caused their deaths. Two more abandoned infants are also in residence in the hospital, and the authorities should extend the required care and keep them safe, he said.
