Expert panel to probe labour room infection deaths in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, May 2 (UNI) The Kerala Government today appointed an expert panel to probe the killings of at least 38 newborn babies due to an alleged ''hospital-acquired'' infection at a premier state-run hospital here during the last four months.

Of the 38 cases, 23 deaths have been reported in April, according to hospital sources.

As per the direction of Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, Health Minister P K Sreemathy rushed to the Sree Avittam Tirunal (SAT) Hospital attached to the Medical College Hospital here to take stock of the situation.

After a preliminary investigation, the Health Minister shifted SAT superintendent Rajmohan for allegedly not informing the government about the infection-related deaths.

A five-member panel, headed by Dr Rajasekharan Nair, professor and consultant gynaecologist of the Sree Uthradam Tirunal Academy of Medical Sciences here, had been constituted to study the issue and submit a report within three weeks.

Besides, a sum of Rs one crore would be made available to the SAT Hospital on the Medical College campus for renovation.

She said all steps would be taken to improve the facilities at the hospital where on an average 2,500 deliveries were being reported every month.

''We will be in a position to give the exact number of neo-natal deaths due to hospital-acquired infection only after getting the report,'' she said, adding it was a serious issue even if one death was reported due to that cause.

According to sources, 23 deaths were microbiologically confirmed due to the infections last month and caused by the presence of multi-drug resistant strains of bacteria.

It came to the notice of doctors who conducted an examination after the number of deaths increased in the recent past.

The sources said unhygienic conditions in the labour rooms and lack of cleanliness inside the neo-natal intensive care units could be responsible for the outbreak.

Health officials were worried over the deaths as the state's health care system was said to be on par with that of the developed countries.

The state has the lowest infant mortality rate of 14.1 as against an all-India average of 70.5.

Meanwhile, top officials of the State Human Rights Commission and the State Women's Commission visited the Hospital today.

UNI