Kolkata: A day after the number of crib deaths in government hospitals in West Bengal shot up to 28, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandopadhyay on Saturday said such deaths were normal and he had sought a report on the issue from his ministry.
"Such child deaths in large numbers is quite normal. I don't know why so much uproar is created on child deaths in the state," said Bandopadhyay.
"I have asked the health ministry about the status of child deaths in other states. They have said that in other states it is much more than Bengal. I have asked the ministry to prepare a report about it. We will surely look into the matter regarding development of better infrastructure in state-run hospitals," said Bandopadhyay.
Since Wednesday, 12 babies in Burdwan Medical College and Hospital in Burdwan district and 16 babies in the city's premier B.C. Roy Children's Hospital have died.
The latest deaths come after 18 babies died in June in the B.C. Roy Children's Hospital.
Banerjee had ordered a probe then, after which the doctors were given a clean chit.
IANS
First Published: Sunday, October 30, 2011, 00:07