Yogi government had earlier been criticized when many children died in BRD Medical College hospital in 2017. Now, there are reported deaths of 16 infants in Assam’s Jorhat Medical College and Hospital.
At least 16 infants have died in this hospital within 9 days. Hospital is yet to declare the exact cause of infant deaths which happened between 1st November to 9th November.
The hospital is denying any medical negligence on their part. But the death of 16 infants in such a shot span of time does raise questions. According to authorities, deaths happened at special care newborn hospital unit. Hospital also claims that they had admitted more babies than they could accommodate. This means that there might be lack of resources to meet patient demands.
Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that a team is heading towards Jorhat. It is being led by district medical examiner and assisted by a UNICEF official and a pediatrician from GMCH.
Present CM of Assam is Sarbananda Sonowal since BJP who took office in May 2016. Before him, the state CM belonged to Congress party. There has always been high infant mortality rate in Assam. According to NITI Aayog, Assam’s infant mortality rate was last recorded at 44 against national average of 34. After 2016 there hadn’t been any reports on infant and maternal mortality rates by Aayog.
It is a sensitive situation where babies in India are dying. Some die due to lack of nutrition and resources. Others die because government fails to provide them with hospital facilities, like children died in Gorakhpur hospital and now infant deaths in Assam.
