GUWAHATI: The inquiry team of medical experts led by Dr Anup Kumar Barman, Director of Medical Education, on Friday found no fault with the children ICU in Fakharuddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital at Barpeta in Assam where nine newborns have died since Wednesday till date.
The other members of the team of medical experts included the head of paediatrics department of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, two other child specialists and a consultant of the UNICEF.
Dr Barman said there was no fault on part of the treatment provide in the ICU to the deceased newborns who were in critical condition were mostly born with low birth weight. Most of the mothers were also below 20 years of age.
He said complications during the birth occurred as the pregnant mothers did not go for regular check-up by doctors during the pregnancy.
As on date another 26 newborns were undergoing treatment in the ICU and out of them condition of four were stated to be critical.
Meanwhile, Opposition Congress blamed the `sorry state of healthcare in the state’ for the deaths of newborns and appealed to the chief minister to get the matter inquired into properly. The Congress blamed ‘indifferent’ attitude of health minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma over the unprecedented deaths of newborns in a government hospital in the state.
“They were in sick new born care unit of the hospital and proper medical care were. It is solely the critical nature of the cases that led to death. Two mothers are below the age of 20 years. In fact, Barpeta Medical College and Hospital has been witnessing less infant mortality this year than previous years,” state health minister Dr Sarma said.
“I have talked to the doctors concerned over phone. They have categorically said that these newborn babies could not be saved in spite of their best possible care,” the minister said.
The minister denied that there was scarcity of doctors in the hospital and clarified, “In respect of child care, we have stable number of doctors in the hospital. In fact, just before two months we opened sick new born care unit and augmented the man power. No doctor from the paediatrics department has resigned to the best of my knowledge. These deaths are related to purely critical nature of the cases like very young age of the mother, low birth weight of child etc.”
Infant mortality has been on a higher side in Barpeta district that is dominated by religious minority community. The minister informed “Every month Barpeta Medical College and Hospital records average 60 infant deaths. It was more than that before two months back. So average two infant deaths are recorded there every day. Yesterday’s five deaths were more than the average.”