The general public raised the panic alarm over the alarming cases of infant deaths in the West Bengal state. 19 infants are reported dead in two district government hospitals over the last two days; this was confirmed by a state official on Friday in Kolkata. The report states that nine died at Malda Medical College and Hospital, and ten infants at Bankura Sammilani Medical College since Wednesday.

"Ten babies have died at the hospital in the last two days. They were suffering from pneumonia and birth asphyxia and some were underweight at birth," Superintendent of Bankura Sammilani Medical College and Hospital Panchanan Kundu said, explaining the reasons. Four infants died Wednesday and six Thursday.

"In the last 48 hours, nine infants have died, seven of them were 15 days old," Malda Medical College and Hospital Vice-Principal M.A. Rashid said. He said most of the newborns were admitted from rural hospitals in Malda district and outside with afflictions ranging from pneumonia to septicaemia. According to hospital officials, around 125 infants have died in the Malda hospital in the New Year. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also holds the health portfolio, described the reports of deplorable condition in district hospitals and health centers leading to the deaths as "rumours". She recently said 50,000 babies perish every year in the state because they are born at home.

Earlier in July, the CM also blamed the erstwhile Left Front regime of neglecting the medical infrastructure. "There is no medical infrastructure. Incidents like this have happened earlier also. But the infrastructure cannot be overhauled so quickly. There are procedures to follow for procurement of new machines which are time consuming." However, she assured that her government has chalked up short and mid-term plans to revamp the medical infrastructure.
(With inputs from internet: AarKay)