After nine infants die at hospital in Ajmer, parents allege negligence

As many as nine newborn babies have died at a hospital in Ajmer in Rajasthan in a matter of days, news reports said. The deaths have put the spotlight on the poor state of public health in several parts of the country. All the infants who died had been undergoing treatment at the government-run Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital at Ajmer. They had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), ANI reported. [caption id=“attachment_2787300” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] As parents of the newborn babies have alleged negligence in treatment, Congress and ABVP workers held protests demanding action against the erring doctors, Hindustan Times reported. However, the superintendent of the hospital Dr PC Verma was reported as saying that the babies were brought to the hospital with multiple complications and that they did not respond to treatment. On 15 May, five newborns admitted to the neonatal unit of the hospital in Ajmer died, prompting authorities to start a probe. The newborns were from Bhilwara, Merta city, Pisangan, Nasirabad and Beawar. They were suffering from septicemia, premature birth and respiratory problems, Dr KK Soni, CMHO Ajmer said. “A committee of three doctors has been formed today to probe the matter and it will submit its report to the district Collector in the evening,” Dr Soni said. Collector Gaurav Goyal has made an assurance of stringent action against the guilty, ANI reported. Following the deaths, the authorities have asked doctors to be extra vigilant. The drugs that had been administered to the babies have been isolated and are being tested, as per a report in The Indian Express. With inputs from PTI