Cot deaths in State-run hospitals returned to haunt West Bengal's health authorities with seven infants dying at the Malda Sadar Hospital in north Bengal's Malda district in just 24 hours.
“Seven babies have died in the hospital within the past 24 hours,” District Chief Medical Officer of Health S.K. Jhariat told The Hindu over telephone from Malda on Wednesday.
The babies, some referred to the hospital from different blocks of the district and others from Bihar and Jharkhand, were all in a critical condition when they were brought across.
They all were underweight, a few were pre-mature and some died within hours of their birth, Mr. Jhariat said, ruling out negligence by the medical staff.
Newly appointed Minister of State for Health, Chandrima Bhattacharya, said here that “there is a conspiracy on to embarrass the government”. The frequency of such incidents suggested it.
She had instructed her department to inquire into the deaths.
