8 more babies die in Malda Hospital, death toll reaches 26

MALDA: Eight more newborns have died at the Malda District Sadar Hospital since Monday, taking the crib death toll in the institution to 26 since November 9.

Hospital superintendent Himadri Kumar Ari said two newborns died on Monday night, three yesterday and another three this morning.

Three infants died today due to congenital problems, he said.

Of the 26 deaths, 18 were referral cases and 8 were new-borns, he added.

District Magistrate Srimati Archana said the administration held a meeting with directors and nurses to check infant deaths and Malda Medical College Hospital doctors have been asked to be involved in the paediatric ward of the sadar hospital.

Besides, number of warmers in the Sadar Hospital would be increased by six and 14 stabilising units would be opened in various parts of the district to provide treatment to ailing infants before they reach the hospital. The first stabilising unit would be opened at Milki.

A 30-bed new-born unit would be opened at the Sadar Hospital and an institutional delivery unit at Molpur, Archana said.

Ari said the hospital saw 10,000 births on an average each year and the figure this year had already crossed 11,000.

The situation was compounded due to the dearth of group d staff in the hospital, officials said.