KOLKATA, India, June 30 (UPI) -- Eighteen infants have died in the past 48 hours at a leading children's hospital in Kolkata, India, but hospital officials denied negligence on their part.
The babies, ranging from 2 days to less than 1 year old, have died since Tuesday night at the 360-bed B.C. Roy Post-Graduate Institute of Pediatric Sciences, a referral hospital for children in the eastern city, the Calcutta Telegraph reported. Kolkata was formerly called Calcutta.
While irate relatives and others accused the hospital of negligence, the report quoted hospital officials as saying 17 of the 18 babies had spent hours travelling from other districts to come to the hospital.
"The deaths happened mainly because these babies were referred from district health centers in very critical condition," medical superintendent D.K. Pal said. "Many suffered from septicemia, congenital heart disease, jaundice, malaria. Most were malnourished and some born prematurely. The weather fluctuation because of rain worsened their condition."
Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal state, whose government said the mortality rate at the hospital is the same as in other hospitals in the state.
The government, however, ordered an investigation by a panel of three doctors.
The newly elected State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while stressing strong action would be taken if negligence is established, agreed the babies' condition had been "extremely critical."
The Indian express reported in a similar incident in 2006, 17 children died in two days at the same hospital.
