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Five more babies died in Malda Medical College and Hospital taking the total toll in the number of crib deaths at the facility to 12 in two days. Hospital sources claim that the five under-weight infants were aged between 0-30 days. The government hospital had been in the news for the death of 23 infants due to an unspecified illness in June.
No poriborton in healthcare
When Mamata Banerjee had come to power riding on the promise of poriborton (change) from the decades of mismanagement of the CPM she had promised to drastically improve the healthcare scenario of the state. The TMC election manifesto had promised significant healthcare service improvements and promised to revamp primary health centres, district hospitals, sub-divisional hospital and super-speciality apex hospitals. The number of infant deaths isn't actually that much higher than previous years. (Read: WB crib deaths: Seven infants die in Malda hospital)
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In 2011, 109 babies died at Malda Medical College and Hospital, and 48 at BC Roy in 2011 but the government seems to have done nothing except creating a task-force. Unless primary healthcare and secondary healthcare units are revamped, crib deaths will continue. There's an urgent need to improve infrastructure at sub-divisional and district level hospitals so only a few big hospitals aren't burdened with the cases of sick infants. There's also a need to educate people about the importance of nourishing food and regular prenatal visits during pregnancy to bring down the neonatal mortality rate.
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