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Judicial probe demand into death of children rejected

The West Bengal Health Minister Surya Kanta Mishra on Tuesday rejected a demand for a judicial inquiry into the death of 15 children, since Sunday, in the state-run B C Roy Memorial Children's Hospital.

The toll has touched 30 in the past one week.

The government rejected a probe saying there was 'nothing unusual'. It also dismissed reports that the hospital was understaffed or had inadequate infrastructure.

"The death rate according to the latest annual report of the hospital is 3.39 per cent which means out of every 250 children admitted, about 10 die. The cases since Sunday are absolutely no reason for such huge outburst," Health Minister Surya Kanta Mishra said.

Mishra said on certain days there were no deaths, on certain others one or two children died and on some occasions the cumulative toll went up to 10 or more.

"I can only say that the deaths were not unusual, the children were critical and did not die of any infection and there was no negligence on part of the doctors," he said.

Mishra said the record of the children's hospital was the 'best' among all state-run hospitals in West Bengal as it had the lowest annual mortality rates.

In sharp contrast to Hospital Superintendent Anup Mondal's remarks, the minister quoted the inquiry report of a three-man committee constituted to investigate into the matter said there was plenty of oxygen available.

"As per the report, 244 oxygen cylinders are always in stock out of which at present, for example, 80 are being used and the rest are in reserve. The total number of medical officers posted is 26, two more than the sanctioned strength," he said.

The number of nursing staff working was 91 against the sanctioned strength of 83. However, the number of Group D staff was a 'little less' than the sanctioned strength -- 146 when it should be 179, Mishra said.

The minister conceded that the hospital was overcrowded. "The total number of beds in the hospital is 250 and between Sunday morning and Monday morning the total number of children admitted in the hospital was 302," he said.

However, he said in the high-risk wards like neo-natal ward where chances of infections were high, no extra patients in addition to the sanctioned strength were allowed. Patients were accommodated in the low risk wards, he said.

Brushing aside reports of inadequate infrastructure, the minister produced a long list of essential equipment worth Rs 3 million supplied to the hospital from the World Bank-assisted Health Systems Development Programme last year.

"Our health sector performance is better than most other states in the country. In fact, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority area has been declared as having the lowest infant mortality rate in any urban area, lesser than urban Kerala," he said.

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