Kolkata:
A hospital in Kolkata says it cannot be accused of negligence despite the fact that 21 babies have died there in the last two days.
The BC Roy Hospital, run by the government, says the children who died were admitted in critical condition. The state's Health Secretary MN Roy stood by that, explaining that last June, close to 280 children were admitted, and 87 died. This year, 395 children were admitted and 86 died.
The specialty children's hospital may be trying to explain that there has been no aberration, but parents refuse to accept that. Yesterday, after a nine-month-old baby died, angry relatives attacked the hospital. As news spread that by then, 17 children had died in 36 hours, a large crowd blocked the road to the hospital. Today, a young mother, Pompa Sarkar, was seen leaving the hospital with her baby girl. She said that after the tales of horror she has heard, she won't risk letting this hospital treat her child.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who doubles up as the Health Minister, had ordered an inquiry into whether the staff at the hospital is to blame for the recent deaths. The Health Secretary has said that's not the case. But he has promised that new and better equipment will be purchased immediately for the hospital.
Sumitra Mondal was admitted three days ago. Today doctors asked for a CT scan, a machine the hospital doesn't have. So her father had to take her elsewhere to get it done, not just an issue of logistics but of further stressing a child in fragile shape.
"She's been in hospital for many days. The doctors said nothing, No medicines were given. Now they want a CT scan," says her father, Sukumar.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked for more details. A statement issued this evening said, "Paediatric care is one of the cardinal requirements of infant health and any negligence/dereliction of duty by public servants/doctors is detrimental to the Right to Health of the concerned. The allegations, if true, amount to serious violation of human rights."