At least 13 infants died in the West Bengal government-run Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) in the State’s Malda district in the past 72 hours. While two of the children were born in the hospital, the remaining 11 were referral cases, vice-principal and superintendent of MMCH M.A. Rashid told The Hindu over telephone.
“The babies were born with low birth weight and were suffering from asphyxia. The infants weighed about 1 to 1.5 kg when they were born,” Dr. Rashid said.
Dr. Rashid said that the hospital sees a huge influx of patients, particularly newborn children on a daily basis, who come in from adjoining districts of the State as well as from Bihar and Jharkhand.
“The number of beds for children in the hospital is about 200 and every day, we receive 100 patients. The condition of sick babies, who are referred to our Hospital from other places, worsens by the time they reach here,” Dr. Rashid said.
Though the infant mortality rate (IMR) in the State stands at 31 (31 infant deaths per 1,000 live births), which is less than the national average of 43, there are certain pockets in West Bengal where infant deaths are a routine affair. MMCH is located in one such pocket in one of the poorest districts of Bengal.
Experts say that malnutrition among women, early marriage and absence of health facilities at the local level are reasons for such deaths.
