ANANTAPUR: Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Alla Kalikrishna Srinivas has announced that an inquiry will be conducted by a special committee on the death of newborn babies in the Anantapur Government General Hospital (GGH).
The Deputy Chief Minister visited the GGH here on Saturday. He inspected the neonatal, post-natal and paediatric wards and enquired about the medical facilities, being provided to the patients. The Deputy CM said that during the last 10 days, 12 newborns have died at the GGH.
He said that since January, 168 newborns have died in the GGH. He said that he had seen reports of West Godavari, East Godavari and Guntur GGHs but the number of deaths there was not massive.
Later, the Deputy Chief Minister reviewed the situation at GGH with the medical officers. District Collector S Satyanarayana, BC Welfare Minister Shankar Narayana, MLAs A Venkata Rami Reddy, T Prakash Reddy, Ch Venkatarami Reddy, P V Sidda Reddy and Kapu Ramachandra Reddy attended the meeting.
The Deputy CM said that while Assembly sessions were being held, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed concern over the large number of death of newborn babies in the GGH here.
He said that super speciality hospital is being constructed at a cost of Rs 150 crore of which the Centre is funding Rs 130 crore. The hospital construction work would be completed at the earliest and the Chief Minister would inaugurate it, he informed.
He asked the DMHO Dr Anil Kumar why the department had failed to check the death of newborn babies.
The GGH doctors told him that most of the newborns would be referred to the GGH after worsening of their condition. Despite best efforts, they die because of their serious condition. The GGH doctors told him that GO No.124 is not being implemented.
The Deputy CM expressed anger stating that the indifference and the lack of sincerity in the doctors and para-medical staff led to the large number of deaths of newborns.