80 Infants Die At MP’s Seoni Hospital In Six Months; BJP MLA Seeks Probe

At least 80 newborns have died at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the district hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni over six months, prompting BJP MLA Dinesh Rai Munmun to demand an investigation into the deaths.

Hospital authorities have attributed the fatalities to premature births, low birth weight and complications among critically ill infants. However, Rai alleged that doctors were unavailable at night to attend to newborns requiring urgent medical care.

Civil Surgeon Dr Vinod Kumar Navkar said the SNCU treats critically ill infants referred from remote rural areas across the district, many of whom are born prematurely and require specialised care.

“Many a times, these babies are born at six, seven or eight months. They have complications and require specialised care,” Navkar said.

He highlighted the risks associated with premature births and low birth weight, noting that such infants are particularly vulnerable to life-threatening complications.

According to Navkar, the district hospital treated 1,188 newborns over the preceding six months. Of these, 642 had a birth weight below the normal range, while 582 infants with substantially low birth weight received treatment. Some weighed as little as 1,100 grams, 900 grams and even 500 grams.

Hospital officials said approximately 34 newborns died between April and June, followed by another 46 between July and September.

Hospital Cites Prematurity, Low Birth Weight As Causes

Defending the hospital’s performance, Navkar said the SNCU’s neonatal mortality rate was below 7.5%, lower than that of other districts in the Jabalpur division. He also referred to 10% as a recommended mortality benchmark for neonatal units.

Navkar said complications during labour and delivery were among the factors contributing to newborn deaths. He also called for greater support from the paediatrics department of the medical college attached to the district hospital.

According to him, the hospital had requested assistance from the department, but the necessary duty arrangements had not been made.

The hospital’s explanation comes amid allegations from families that their newborns did not receive adequate or timely medical attention.

Families Allege Delays In Treatment

Manish Warkade, a resident of Dungariya village in Barghat block, alleged that his wife did not receive timely medical attention after being admitted to the hospital in July.

“She had been referred from Barghat to Seoni. The newborn died after being admitted to the SNCU,” he said.

Another resident, Sanjay Uikey of Jawarkathi, said his wife was referred to Seoni after developing complications during pregnancy. Their baby was born in the seventh month of pregnancy and weighed around 1.6 kg, he said.

According to Uikey, doctors informed the family that the newborn had a weak heartbeat.

“After several days in the SNCU, the baby was shifted to another machine and died a few hours later,” he said.

BJP MLA Alleges Doctors Absent During Night Shifts

Rai told The Indian Express that he decided to conduct a surprise inspection after receiving complaints about doctors’ alleged absence, demands for money from patients and the high number of newborn deaths.

He claimed that outsourced staff initially attempted to prevent him from entering the hospital, citing an ongoing departmental inquiry and audit.

Rai alleged that no doctor was present when he visited the facility.

“Forty-six children died because of difficulty in breathing. The hospital has a ventilator for children who have difficulty breathing, and a doctor is supposed to be appointed for this. But the doctor does not remain there at night. The nurses are not trained for this work,” he alleged.

“Tell me, who goes to a district hospital? Poor people. If these children are dying because of doctors’ negligence, criminal action should be taken against those responsible,” Rai said.

The BJP MLA also questioned the administration’s claim that the hospital’s infant mortality rate was lower than that of other districts. He argued that the recorded figures might not reflect the full extent of the problem because critically ill newborns were being referred to other facilities.

The allegations have raised questions about staffing, emergency neonatal care and the adequacy of medical services at the district hospital. The causes of the deaths and the allegations of negligence would require examination through an appropriate investigation.