1,147 newborns dead in four years

Dharmapuri: At least 40 newborns with varied complications die at the neo-natal intensive care unit of the Dharmapuri government hospital in a month, dean in-charge, Dr M. Elangovan, has admitted.

About 450 newborns have died in the Dharmapuri GH in the first 10 months of this year, the dean said.  Every month, 450 to 550 kids are admitted to the neo-natal care unit of the hospital with various issues like respiratory problems, low birth weight, underdeveloped lungs, brain or heart. “We try and give the best care possible. This is the most well-equipped hospital in the district with adequate medical and para-medical staff and state-of-art facilities. However, because of complications, at least 40 infants die every month,” the dean told DC.

However, the rising infant death figures at the hospital raise serious concerns. While 270 kids died in 2011, 445 have died from January 1 to October 17, according to official figures. The mortality rate is likely to climb up further with more newborns admitted with severe complications, say doctors.

Read: Ten kids die in 4 days

The dean in-charge blames the rising infant deaths entirely on the lack of care for the mothers during pregnancy. “The mothers do not go for periodical check-up and don’t eat healthy food during pregnancy. Periodical scan and medical examination of pregnant women is a must to bring down the infant death rate at the hospital,” he asserts.

However, it raises disturbing questions over the role of village health nurses, the primary health centres and the sub-centres that are expected to reach out to pregnant mothers and provide nutritional and medical care for them, say social activists.

As the debate hots up over the causes of the deaths, at least 20 more kids are battling for life at the neonatal unit of the Dharmapuri goverment hospital.