Nineteen babies have died in two days in two district hospitals even as West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that a baseless canard was being spread of crib deaths to malign her government.
Nine babies died in Malda District Hospital while 10 babies died in Bankura Sammilani Medical College and Hospital.
Superintendent of Bankura Hospital Panchanan Kundu said that four babies died on Wednesday and six on Thursday. He pointed out that there was too much pressure on his hospital with sick babies being brought from other districts and even neighbouring states for treatment. Dr Kundu explained that the reasons for the deaths were meningitis, pneumonia and low birth weight.
In Malda District Hospital, which has registered over 100 crib deaths in the month of January, nine more babies died on Wednesday and Thursday. The hospital authorities said eight of the babies were born in homes and were brought to the hospital in critical condition.
In the past eight months, hundreds of babies have died in B.C. Roy Children Hospital in Kolkata and district hospitals in Burdwan, Malda and Bankura.
Ms Banerjee, who is also the state health minister, however, rejected the charge of medical negligence.