90 infant deaths reported at KTK hospital since Jan: report

Ninety infant deaths have been reported at a district hospital in neighbouring Kolar since January this year out of 1053 babies admitted, the Karnataka Health Department has said.
The report was submitted after three newborn babies died at the SNR government district hospital on Monday, triggering panic among parents of infants admitted there.
Attributing the deaths on August 21 to "congenital anomalies and low birth weight," Director, Health and Family Welfare Services, in a report submitted to the Principal Secretary yesterday, said prima facie there was no negligence on part of the hospital.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had sought a detailed report from the health department following the death of the newborns.

The hospital had recorded 82 infant deaths in 2016.
Pointing out that deliveries at the hospital had been increasing post 2016, the report said it was now conducting on an average 350 deliveries per month compared to 150 in 2015.

The State Human Rights and Child Rights Commission officials had visited the hospital yesterday to take stock of the situation.
Opposition BJP today said it has constituted a 12-member-fact finding team to study and ascertain reasons and causes for death of infants at government hospitals in Kolar and other parts of the state.
Appointing senior BJP leader Suresh Kumar as the convener of the committee, state BJP Chief B S Yeddyurappa in a statement accused the government of showing apathy towards earlier such cases.