Post News Network
Cuttack, August 29: Inadequate staff and poor infrastructure were seen by an expert team from Union Health Ministry as major causes of the recent spurt in infant deaths at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Postgraduate Institute of Paediatrics, popularly known as Sishu Bhawan here.
The 11-member Central team including Union Health department’s additional secretary Arun Panda Saturday visited the facility to take stock of the situation arising out of recurring infant deaths.
According to hospital sources, three girls and two boys died Saturday while undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit (ICU) taking the infant death toll to 50 in 10 days. The infants were brought from Nayagarh, Dhenkanal, Puri and Jajpur districts.
Four paediatricians – Ajay Kumar, Shrikant Basu, Dr Diwan and Dr Das – reviewed the situation at the wards for an hour. Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan also joined the team.
The team is expected to monitor the situation at the premier hospital for two days. The delegation held discussions with the Sishu Bhawan doctors about the nature of ailment with which the infants had died. The team will submit its report to the government after thoroughly studying the situation.
State BJP president KV Singh Deo, BJP legislature party leader Basant Panda, former minister Sameer Dey and party’s state secretary Nayan Kishore Mohanty visited the facility among others.