4 Newborn Babies Die In Government-Run Hospital; Families Allege Negligence

Four newborns died at a government-run hospital in India on Monday, following which the families of the infants alleged medical negligence on the part of the staff.

The incident took place in the state of Chhattisgarh. The babies were admitted to the special neonatal care unit of Government Medical College Hospital in Ambikapur.

Families of the babies said their newborns died as a result of a power outage. Two of the babies were on ventilator support after birth. However, the hospital management said that the newborns were already in critical condition, and the deaths cannot be linked to the power cut.

The allegations prompted the state's health minister, T.S. Singh Deo, to launch an investigation into the incident.

"My child was admitted since last 15 days and on Monday around 1pm, there was a power cut. When there was no light, how will the ventilator and other medical equipments work? There should be a probe and the guilty should be punished," Bisharampur resident Gaurav Kumar Singh and the father of one of the victims said, according to the Hindustan Times.

Authorities said that the cause of deaths were not linked to a power cut, the Hindu reported.

"The four newborn babies died early on Monday. We spoke to the people, including the doctor, and it's very clear that power fluctuations did not interrupt the functioning of the ventilator," Surguja collector Kundan Kumar said.

"The controlpanel got burnt and it was being repaired. The alternate backup (electricity) was working throughout and all the ventilators were running," Kumar said, adding four babies were in critical condition. "There are still 30-35 kids in the SNCU. A probe has been ordered and the medical reports of the four newborns will soon be released by the hospital."

Chhattisgarh governor Anusuiya Uikey also said that the state government will conduct a thorough probe and take appropriate action into the incident.

In a similar incident, a 10-month-old baby died while receiving treatment for a cold and cough in a hospital. The baby boy's family alleged the child died due to the negligence of the hospital staff and doctors. The incident took place in a private hospital in the state of Chhattisgarh. According to local reports, the child – identified as Shivansh Verma – was admitted to the Siddhi Vinayak Hospital in Sirsa Gate on Oct. 17 for treatment, following a cold and cough. The child died on Oct. 31, while receiving care.