Doctors step up efforts to save ailing children

A day after the death of five babies at the Government hospital here, authorities today enlisted a team of child specialists from the Institute of Child Health at Chennai for treating six other infants who have been put on ventilator.
The five infants, underweight and delivered premature, admitted to the neo-natal ICU ward of the hospital, died yesterday, triggering panic.
"It is unfortunate that five babies have died. The babies have been delivered at various places. But they were admitted here and died due to neo-natal complications and being under weight," Dharmapuri Government College and Hospital Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit Nodal Officer, Pugalanthiraja told PTI.

He said the condition of six other infants is stated to be serious and they have been put on ventilator.
Of the five babies who died, four are girls. Three died following neo-natal complications and two due to respiratory problems in a span of few hours yesterday, he said.
"Very sick babies are normally admitted in Level-II and Level-III wards. Level III is for extremely sick babies. About six of them are under treatment. They are premature babies," he said.

About 25 children were currently undergoing treatment in the ICU, he said.
On the preparedness of the authorities to avoid such situations, he said the District Collector and Tahsildar visited the hospital and an inquiry was on to ascertain the cause of death.

"The Director, Institute of Child Health, Egmore, visited the hospital and a team of doctors are coordinating with our doctors. We are taking every measure to ensure treatment to ailing children," he added.