Infant Death Toll Rises to 53 in 11 Days at Cuttack’s Sishu Bhawan

A Central team visited Shishu Bhavan to assess the situation, and to help the state government and also to strengthen the entire service delivery system.

Five new infant deaths have been reported on August 30 taking the death toll to 53 in the past 11 days at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Pediatrics.

Deaths at the childcare center, popularly known as Shishu Bhawan, has infuriated people while the Odisha government is trying to check the deaths by pressing experienced doctors and other staff into service.

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Sishu Bhawan has been manned by only 20 doctors for several years and the hospital is also facing an acute shortage of paramedics.

More than 5,900 infants have died while undergoing treatment in the last five years at the referral health institution in Cuttack.

A seven member Central team comprising specialist doctors led by the Additional Secretary of the Health Ministry visited Shishu Bhavan to assess the situation.

"The whole idea of bringing a Central team is to help the state government and to strengthen the entire service delivery system. If required we will send additional doctors here," said Arun Panda Additional Secretary of Health Ministry.

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The team may also suggest steps to be taken for improving infrastructure and other facilities for the benefit of improving health care facility in the hospital.

A technical committee has also been formed by the Odisha state government to probe the incident, and the report is expected next week.

Odisha Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said the state government is taking all steps to ensure better services in the hospital.

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The Medical Council of India canceled the student-intake approval in 2014-15 citing poor infrastructure and lack of faculties as reasons.

According to a report by the health department, 3,869 infants have died in OPD, 2,034 have died in ICU in the last five years from 2010-11 to 2014-15. In the last three months, 407 infants have died in both OPD and ICU.

Petroleum Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, along with health experts also visited Sishu Bhawan to take stock of the situation.

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The Special Newborn Care Unit bed strength would be increased to 36 and the vacant doctors and paramedics positions would be filled up soon at the hospital.

"The Center will provide all support to revamp the Sishu Bhawan infrastructure, if the Odisha government seeks. A long term plan would be prepared for infrastructure development of the hospital," said Pradhan.

Source-Medindia