Kerala: Case against Minister on new born deaths

Thiruvananthapuram, May 4: The police today registered a case against Kerala Health Minister P K Sreemathi and six others, for failing to take steps to prevent the deaths of new born babies due to infection at the state-run Sree Avittam Tirunal (SAT) hospital.

The Medical College police registered the case on the direction of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, who had yesterday asked to charge the case under sections IPC 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 34.

Besides Ms Sreemathi, the case was registered against Dr Shyamala and Dr Shiela Shenoy, head of the gynaecology departments, Gemini and Girija, nursing superintendents, Nisha, nursing superintendent, labour room, and Shajila, cleaning-in-charge, labour room.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate S Gopala Krishnan had given the direction after hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by one Mr V Vikraman. The case was filed in the backdrop of reports that at least 38 new born babies had died of alleged hospital-acquired infection at the SAT hospital during the past four months.

UNI