Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has slammed ruling Shiv Sena over the death of four newborn babies at the civic-run Savitribai Phule maternity home in Bhandup. BJP corporators on Thursday staged a protest outside the office of Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar. Corporators have blamed Shiv Sena for the death of infants and demanded Neonatal Intensive care unit (NICU) should be taken back from a private Medical company and the licence of that company should be suspended.
BJP Group leader in BMC, Prabhakar Shinde expressed shock and anger over the incident, Shinde said, “how did the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) catch the infection? The ruling party is more concerned about the penguins in the zoo and not bothered about Mumbai citizens. The ruling party’s attitude has put the entire health system on the ventilator,” Shinde said.
Shinde said, "this unit is not run by the BMC but outsourced to a private medical company. Despite repeated complaints by local corporators Sakshi Dalvi and Jagruti Patil about the NICU, Shiv Sena and the hospital administration always ignored it." Shinde also sought the company and the doctors of the hospital should be booked under culpable homicide. “The BMC’s health system gets funds of Rs 4,500 crore every year. Would the citizens trust the system in such circumstances?” Shinde asked.
However, a BMC officer said on anonymity, "a committee has been appointed to inquire about the deaths of infants. HOD of the neonatal department of Sion hospital will conduct an inquiry. He will submit a report within seven days and necessary action will be taken against the culprit once the report is received by BMC.''
She further said, "There were 20 beds in the neonatal Intensive care unit (NICU) in Savitribai Phule hospital. out of 20, 10 beds were kept reserved for outside children. Since December 3, Seven children have been admitted to the NICU. Condition of those children was already weak and no medicine was working on their disease." The rate of fatality of the said hospital is 7 percent but 10 percent fatality rate is acceptable, said the officer.
