Infrastructure not the cause of child deaths : Minister

Kolkata, Nov 6 (UNI) Denying that lack of infrastructure was responsible for the series of child deaths in B C Roy Memorial hospital, the West Bengal Government today said a rush of admission of cribs with ''too poor health'' was the reason for the ''unfortunate incident.'' '' 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, referred from different hospitals,'' Health Minister Suryakanta Mishra said in a statement after receiving a report of inquiry into the incident that triggered political outcry.

Dr Mishra said altogether 21 cribs had died between November 2 and 4 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 infections, 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.

Eight cribs died in the hospital on Thursday last, nine on Friday and four on Saturday.

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.

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

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, 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.

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