Five more babies die, protests outside Kolkata hospital

KOLKATA: Death of infants continues to torment West Bengal. Five crib deaths were reported today in the government-run B C Hospital children hospital here, sparking angry protests by family members.

"Five babies, all of whom were brought to the hospital in a critical condition today died during the day," the hospital's superintendent Dilip Pal told PTI.

The deaths led to protests in the hospital complex by the family members alleging "medical negligence".

Police rushed to the hospital and pacified the protesters.

Claiming that the five crib deaths in the hospital is "nothing abnormal", Pal said, "This is within the normal range. There is a heavy load of patients in the hospital and a large number of children are being brought daily, many of whom are brought in critical condition to the hospital".

Earlier in October last year, 36 babies had died at several district hospitals and the referral B C Roy Children's hospital in Kolkata.

Amid the continuing spate of infant deaths in different hospitals in West Bengal, nine babies died in the state-run Behrampore Hospital in Murshidabad district yesterday.

The Malda Sadar Hospital had reported 110 deaths between January 1 and January 27.