Bengal Govt clean chit to hospital on child deaths

Kolkata, Nov 06 (UNI) Denying that health infrastructure was responsible for the series of child deaths, the West Bengal government today gave a clean chit to the authorities of B C Roy Memorial hospital, saying no individual had been found guilty.

" We are not taking any action against any staff member of the hospital because there is no proof of dereliction of duty of any hospital employee, " Health Minister Suryakanta Mishra said after receiving a primary report of inquiry into the incident that triggered a political outcry.

He, however, said Director of Medical Education had been asked to hold a full fledged enquiry into the incident and submit reports in two weeks.

Altogether 25 cribs died in the hospital, which is exclusively for children, between November two and five. While eight cribs died on Thursday last, nine on Friday and four each on Saturday and Sunday.

However, Dr Mishra said altogether 21 infants had died between November two and four though the hospital had 'fairly good infrastructure' and all efforts were made to save their lives. Most of the children who died were under weight and had serious infection, he said.

" The main reason for the deaths of so many infants at B C Roy Hospital was that many children had been admitted at a time in very poor health condition. With too poor condition of health, they were referred from different hospitals, " he said.

The Government had not received any complaints from any patient's family, he said.

The average rate of death in the hospital was between three and four a day making a total of about 1200 every year. However, there were instances of no death on many given days, the Minister said.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee along with Dr Mishra had rushed to the hospital yesterday after 17 infants died in two days and held a meeting with the Superintendent.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Youth Congress and a section of Congress leaders organised a joint demonstration in front of 'Swastha Bhavan', the health department headquarters at Salt Lake today.

In another incident, police arrested 50 people after activists of the Youth Congress and Chhatra Parishad, two frontal wings of the Congress, staged separate demonstrations in front of the central gate of the state Secretariat today in protest against the child deaths.

Shouting slogans and waving flags, they demanded the Health Minister's resignation.

Alleging that the deaths exposed the "shockingly inadequate" health care and infrastructure in the state, the Trinamool Congress, Congress and the SUCI held protest meetings in front of the hospital yesterday also.

Demanding the Health Minister's resignation, they also burnt his effigy and put up road blockades.

UNI KDG SJC RN1922