DHAKA: As many as 13 infants have died in the government-run Malda Medical College Hospital of West Bengal in the last two days.

According to sources, most of the children who died where brought in from various districts of the state were underweight from birth and their mothers malnourished.

Abdur Rashid, superintendent of the hospital told Gulf News over phone, ‘the situation of the infants were extremely critical when they were brought in. None of them responded to the treatment received. Severe cold weather leading to breathing trouble, along with low birth weight and infection were the prime causes behind the crib deaths’.

West Bengal government which has often being criticised for crib death has not been able to control infant mortality despite various initiatives.

‘We have opened various health centres and run various mother and child welfare schemes, but nothing seem to be working since there is huge negligence and lack of concern amongst people about welfare of pregnant woman,’ said an official of the state health department.

BDST: 1748 HRS, JAN 02, 2014
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor