17 children died in city's children hospital

Kolkata, Nov 4 (UNI) The death of 17 children in the B C Roy Children Hospital here in last two days has set off large-scale panic among the people, forcing Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Health Minister Suryakant Mishra to visit the hospital tonight.

Though the hospital authorities had categorically denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the deaths were because of 'serious infection' with which the children were admitted, the opposition political parties, including the Trinamool Congress and the Congress, have demanded resignation of both Mr Mishra and Hospital Superintendant Mrinal Kanti Chatterjee owning responsibility.

Reiterating his claim that there was 'no abnormalities in the death of so many children in the last two days in the hospital', Mr Chatterjee said all the nine children, who died yesterday, and eight others, who died the day before, were admitted with serious lung infection.

''As a result all our efforts to save them went in vain,'' he claimed.

He said even last year as many as 13 children died in the hospital in a day following similar infection. Moreover, on an average three to four children died in the hospital almost everyday because of several reasons, he said.

However, the opposition demanded immediate stepping down of the Health Minister as well as the hospital superintendent charging them with not being serious.

However, realising the gravity of the situation, the Chief Minister, accompanied by Dr Mishra, went to the hospital at around 2000 hours and held a closed-door meeting with the hospital Superintendent. They also reportedly visited the affected Childrens' ward.

Congress leaders Somen Mitra, Dr Manas Bhunia and party state working President Pradip Bhattacharya also went to the hospital with a large number of party workers and demanded an inquiry into the whole incident. They also raised slogans against the Health Minister and the Chief Minister.

However, a large contingent of policemen had been posted in and around the hospital premises to prevent any untoward incident.

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