Minister Pradhan Seeks J. P. Nadda's Intervention on Infant Deaths in Odisha

33 infants have died in the last seven days at Sardar Vallab Bhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Pediatrics in a Cuttack. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has urged his cabinet colleague and Health Minister J.P. Nadda to send an expert team to the hospital. Pradhan, who hails from Odisha, said in a letter to Nadda, "Kindly constitute an expert team to visit the hospital and ascertain the facts relating to abnormal number of deaths of infants within such a short span of time. The team may also suggest steps to be taken for improving infrastructure and other facilities for the benefit of improving health care facility in the hospital in general and for infant care in particular. Parents have attributed such deaths to negligence of doctors and other hospital staffs in the health institution known as 'Sishu Bhawan'. Further, the medical staffs and doctors have also alleged that the number of ICUs and other medical facilities in Sishu Bhawan are woefully insufficient to carter to growing needs of medical care for infants."

Odisha Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said, "The state government was taking steps to improve the health facilities in Sishu Bhawan. About 89 doctors and 173 staff nurses have been engaged for 416 beds in the pediatrics hospital. Besides, additional six pediatrics specialists and equal number of sisters have been engaged from today."

Source-IANS