20 infants die in Ahmedabad civil hospital in three days
Twenty infants have died at Ahmedabad's civil hospital in three days, most of them due to "severe life threatening conditions". The average number of newborn deaths there is five-six a day. According to the administration, a major factor is that patients with complications were often brought in from faraway places, delaying treatment. Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani visited the hospital yesterday and ordered a report.
The hospital lists these reasons for the deaths
Among the recent deaths, five brought from distant places were suffering from "severe life-threatening conditions like extremely-low birth weight, hyaline membrane disease, early onset septicaemia and disseminated intra-vascular coagulation". Four died due to "lethal complications like severe birth asphyxia and meconium aspiration". "While a newborn died of cancer, another succumbed to complications arising out of extremely low birth weight," said Hospital Superintendent MM Prabhakar.
Rupani assures action if negligence or lacking facilities caused deaths
Rupani met with health officials over the incident and assured action would be taken if the deaths were due to "lack of facilities or negligence". A committee will submit a report within a day, said Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Jayanti Ravi. The government says "extremely-low birth weight deliveries" are a challenge in Gujarat owing to the "suboptimal nutritional status of pregnant women".
