NHRC notice to Kerala Govt on infant deaths

New Delhi, May 10 (UNI) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notice to the Kerala Government and sought a factual report on the death of 23 infants during April in a Government-owned hospital in Thiruvananthapuram allegedly due to bacterial infection.

Taking suo motu cognisance of a newspaper report on the incident, the Commission asked the state Health and Family Welfare Department Secretary to send the report within two weeks.

''If the contents of the report are true, they raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of the children,'' it said.

According to the May 2 newspaper report, 23 newborns died during a month at the Sree Avittam Tirunal Hospital after contracting bacterial infection.

It said the revelation was the outcome of an inquiry conducted by the pediatric wing of the hospital.

''The inquiry found out that 18 of the 23 children died in April due to infection by Klebsiells bacteria and four others from staphylococcus...microbiological examination of the children's blood established that,'' it added.

Meanwhile, more infant deaths at the hospital have come to light. As many as 38 infants have died during the last four months because of hospital acquired infection.

UNI