(Eds: Updates death toll and adds details)Ahmedabad, Oct 29 (PTI) Eleven newborns have died at thecivil hospital here since Friday midnight, prompting theGujarat government to order a probe into the circumstances andcauses of their death.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today visited the hospitaland assured action in case the deaths are caused due tonegligence or lack of facilities.
Early in the day, he had held meeting with top Healthdepartment officials in Gandhinagar regarding the incident.
The government said in a release that five babies thatwere brought here from distant places and suffered from"extremely low birth weight" complications, while somesuffered from life-threatening diseases and were in a criticalcondition.
"Of the nine deaths in the 24 hours, five babies werereferred from distant places -- Lunawada, Surendranagar,Mansa, Viramgam, Himmatnagar -- and were having severe lifethreatening conditions such as extremely low birth weight(around 1.1 kg), hyaline membrane disease, early onsetsepticaemia and disseminated intra-vascular coagulation," therelease read.
Besides, four babies born at the civil hospital "dieddue to lethal complications such as severe birth asphyxia andmeconium aspiration", it said.
Hospital Superintendent M M Prabhakar said two morebabies have died since last night, taking the toll to 11 sinceFriday midnight.
"While a newborn died of cancer, another succumbed tocomplications arising out of extremely low birth weight,"he said.
With this, 20 babies have died in the past three days atthe facility, Prabhakar said.
A three-member committee under R K Dixit, Deputy Directorof Medical Education, will inquire into the circumstances andcauses of death, the release said.
Talking to reporters after visiting the facility, Rupanisaid, "The government will take action if the deaths are dueto lack of facilities or negligence of doctors. We have askedfor investigation into each of the nine cases and will be ableto comment after that."Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfaredepartment, Jayanti Ravi said the condition of some of thebabies had already deteriorated and they had to be referred tothe civil hospital here from distant places as doctors theremight still be on Diwali vacation.
The committee will look into the reasons for the deathsand it is expected to submit its report in a day, she said.
"Being the main hospital in the state, all complicatedcases are referred here. It is natural that many babies arenot able to survive despite (our) efforts," she said.
According to the government, "extremely low birth weightdeliveries" continue to be a challenge in Gujarat in view of"suboptimal nutritional status of pregnant women".
The average number of deaths of newborns at the Ahmedabadcivil hospital is around five to six per day, the releaseadded.
Meanwhile, members of opposition Congress protestedoutside the office of the superintendent of the hospital overthe child deaths. PTI KA PD GK NSKGVS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.
