Ludhiana: Describing the death of five newborns at civil hospital here as "very unfortunate", Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday said that anyone found guilty in the incident would not be spared.
"We will get the matter examined minutely and make sure the any person found guilty is not spared," Badal said here.
"We have already suspended gynaecologist Dr Alka Mittal and transferred Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Dr R K Karkara after this incident," the CM told reporters.
Meanwhile, Punjab Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani in Chandigarh said the incident has not only given a bad name to the department but also to the entire medical fraternity.
The minister said a committee under Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner had already been constituted to look into the matter and preliminary enquiry revealed that the concerned doctor was not available despite repeated calls.
Five new-borns had died at civil hospital during the time of delivery, which the families have alleged were carried out by "class IV employees in the absence of gynaecologists".
The state health minister said a complaint or suggestion box has been installed at the Health Directorate in Chandigarh's Sector 34 for streamlining the functioning of department.
The complaint box, bearing his and Chief Parliamentary Secretary's contact number, would be opened by the minister himself every Tuesday in the presence of senior officers.
The complaints received would be attended to within 15 days, he said, adding that the aim behind installing the box was to keep a close tap on the functioning of department and check corruption at ground level besides addressing public grievances.
