Malda, Sept. 27 -- As many as 55 infants have died at Malda Medical College and Hospital till September 24, raising fresh concerns over child mortality at the district's largest government hospital. The figure comes weeks after 89 infant deaths were reported till August 27, prompting the state health department to send a team to the hospital to examine the situation.
According to hospital authorities, 35 of the 55 infants who died this month were of low birth weight. Doctors have also cited several other factors, including malnutrition, teenage pregnancy, birth asphyxia and critically ill babies being referred to the medical college from other hospitals.
Medical experts said reducing infant mortality would require greater emphasis on antenatal care, maternal health and strengthening healthcare facilities in remote and marginalised areas. Regular health check-ups during pregnancy and timely identification of high-risk pregnancies were also stressed.
English Bazar MLA Amlan Bhaduri said the circumstances in which critically ill babies reach the medical college should also be taken into account. "Many critically ill children are referred to Malda Medical College and Hospital from other private nursing homes when their condition has already become serious. Their condition at the time of admission needs to be considered while analysing the mortality figures," Bhaduri said. He also stressed the need to examine the availability and quality of healthcare at the referring facilities.
The hospital authorities have maintained that the deaths cannot be attributed to a single factor and that the clinical condition of each child needs to be examined separately.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.