Probe panel to give report in 24 hours, 9 deaths in 24 hours was slightly higher than normal average of 4 to 5

Ahmedabad:

The three member committee constituted by the Gujarat government to probe the reasons and other aspects of the deaths of 9 new-born children in ICU of neonatal ward of Ahmedabad civil hospital in last 24 hours would hand over its report in next 24 hours,’ Superintendent of the hospital, M M Prabhakar today said.

He said that of the nine children who died in the hospital, five were brought from other places like Viramgam, Surnedranagar, Mansa, Himmatnagar and Lunavada in serious condition. The 100 bed neonatal ICU in the hospital was equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and was considered one of the best and largest in the country. Of the deceased children many were suffering from low birth weight and had weights as low as 1.1 kg while the normal should be 2.5 kg. Some of them died after treatment for up to 72 hours.

Notably, as per official figures on an average everyday 4 to 5 such deaths take place in the neonatal ward of the hospital which was deemed one of the largest medical facilities in Asia. So the death figures were not very high.

The probe panel has Deputy Director, Medical Education R K Dixit as its head. The other two members are Dean of Vadnagar medical hospital and a gynecology expert Nilesh Shah and HoD of the pediatrics department of Gandhinagar Medical College Himanshu Joshi.

About the reports of total 18 such deaths in last 3 days, Prabhakar said that the exact number was being compiled.

Meanwhile, some sources claimed that some of the deaths were also caused by infection.

DeshGujarat