Infant death toll rises to 35 in Odisha hospital

Odisha Channel Bureau Cuttack, Aug 27: With the death five more infants at the government-run Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (Sishu Bhawan) here on Thursday, the death toll increased to 36 within a week. State Health Minister has constituted a high-level technical team, led by the State Director of Medical Education and Training (DMET), to probe into the recent deaths, the Sishu Bhavan authorities have ruled out negligence in treatment.The death rate in Sishu Bhawan has started mounting since last year when the paediatric unit of SCB Medical College and Hospital was dismantled and merged with it.Sishu Bhavan has been facing severe shortage of doctors and paramedical staff making things unmanageable for the hospital which receives ailing infants from various reasons of Odisha.As against the sanctioned post of 39 doctors, Sishu Bhavan has only 19 doctors at present.Opposition Congress and BJP have demanded resignation of Health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak for the current mess in Sishu Bhawan.The opposition has blamed the Naveen Patnaik Government for the mismanagement in Sishu Bhavan.