BHOPAL: A day after death of six infants at state-run Shahdol district hospital, the government on Wednesday asked the Chief Medical and health Officer (CMHO) and Civil surgeon to go on leave. A high-level committee has been instituted to look into the causes of the death.
Health minister Tulsi Silawat, on Wednesday visited the hospital and took stock of the situation and the prevailing health facilities. During his visit, the minister sending a strong message, told CMHO Dr Rakesh Pandey and Civil surgeon Dr Umesh Namdev to go on leave and in their place K L Ahirwar and M Chaturvedi have been given the charges of CMHO and civil surgeon respectively.
Silawat said, “CMHO and civil surgeon have been told to go on leave. I have constituted a committee to probe into the causes that led to death of six infants in the hospital.” Chief Minister Kamal Nath ordered for probe into the deaths and directed the officials to take preventive measures to check the repetition of tragic incident.
Silawat in a meeting with collector and other concerned officials inquired about the health services in the district. Thereafter the minister constituted a high –level committee which will inquire into the incident and submits its report.
Six tribal infants aged between one-day to two-and-half months died within span of 15 hours on Monday and Tuesday at Shahdol District. The kids were admitted at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU), two at the Pediatric ICU (PICU) and two at the pediatric ward.
Congress media coordinator Narendra Saluja said the government is committed to ensure best of medical services in the remote areas of the state. Brushing aside the opposition BJP flaying the government over the incident, the Congress leader said, “During BJP government, the then women and child development minister Archna Chitnis had informed Vidhan Sabha that 29,410 infants died from January 1, 2016-to January 1, 2017. Even in Bhopal, 1704 infants died during the same period. Per day, 75 infants die in Madhya Pradesh. She had also informed the House about the deaths of 13,843 from April 2017 to September 2017.”
