The West Bengal Governor, Mr M.K. Narayanan, on Monday expressed concern over the death of several babies in the State and said steps were being taken to stop any more tragedy.
“Yes, it is matter of concern. The West Bengal government is working on it,” he told reporters when asked about the death of babies due to various diseases in West Bengal.
Thirty-six babies have died in the last fortnight, which raised questions about the standard of health care in paediatric hospitals in the State.
Asked whether an inquiry should be instituted to find out the causes for the deaths, Mr Narayanan said, “More than the inquiry, we should focus that there should be no single (baby) death.”
Meanwhile, as one more baby died at Burdwan Hospital taking the infant death toll to 36, the Union Minister of State for Health, Mr Sudip Bandopadhyay, today said the child mortality rate in West Bengal is lower than national average and the State government is trying to bring it down further.
“The infant mortality rate nationally is 61 per 1,000. In West Bengal, it is 33 per 1,000. The State government is trying its best to further bring down the mortality rate,” Mr Bandopadhyay, who belongs to the ruling Trinamool Congress, said.
He was inaugurating a Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) at the BC Roy Post Graduate Institute of Paediatric Sciences which saw 17 infant deaths between October 25 and 29.
The SNCU is in keeping with the recommendation of the enquiry committee that was set up by the State government earlier this year following 18 infant deaths at the institute which is the State's largest paediatric referral hospital.
Describing the recent infant deaths at the hospital as a “tornado,” he said the Chief Minister, Mr Mamata Banerjee, was concerned about it.
The Minister said the Centre would enhance allocation in the healthcare sector in the next five years as child healthcare is one of the priorities of the government.