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At least 15 newborn babies died at a hospital in Assam within six days, prompting the state health department to rush a team to investigate the matter.
The incident was reported from Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) with the deaths taking place between November 1 and 6.
According to officials, the hospital authorities have formed a committee to look into the matter.
15 newborns have died at the special care newborn unit of the hospital between November 1 and 6, JMCH Superintendent Saurav Borkakoti told PTI.
He, however, said the deaths of the newborn babies were not due to medical negligence or neglect of the hospital.
"Sometimes the number of patients coming to the hospital may be large and so the figure of death of newborns may also be large. It depends in what situation the patients have come to the hospital. They may have come with prolonged labour, with low birth weight. In such circumstances, those newborns may die," Borkakoti said.
He said ever since the civil hospital was converted into a full-fledged medical college and hospital, the number of patients have soared, exceeding the available 141 bed SNCU capacity. This has forced the hospital to sometimes accommodate more babies, he said.
The hospital has formed a six-member committee to probe the deaths, Borkakoti said.
Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters that a team of experts, including the director of medical education assisted by UNICEF and a paediatric doctor from Gauhati Medical College and Hospital along with another doctor of Assam Medical College and Hospial, Dibrugarh have proceeded to Jorhat to investigate the deaths.
(With PTI inputs)
