Team to probe children's death at Niloufer Hospital

Hyderabad, Jun 16 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Government has constituted a four-member committee to look into the death of six children at the Government Niloufer hospital.

Addressing a press conference, Health Minister K Rosaiah said the committee headed by Principal Health Secretary I V Subba Rao would submit its report within 48 hours and would recommend short term and long term measures to set right any lapses.

Describing the recent death of six children as unfortunate, he said the situation could not be changed overnight. The 350-bed hospital was receiving an average of 650 patients.

He said the government would consider it a special case and would recruit nurses immediately through 'walk-in interviews'.

If needed, additional doctors would be appointed on contract basis, he added.

He said the government would make efforts to bring down the infant mortality rate by 21 per 1000 by 2010. Presently, it was 58 per 1000 in the state as against the national average of 59.

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