16 more babies die in Bengal,toll rises to 29

A day after 13 children were reported dead at the B C Roy Childrens Hospital at Kolkata,at least 16 more babies have reportedly died in two government hospitals in the state in last 24 hours.

Four more babies died at Kolkatas B C Roy hospital and 12 newborns are reported to have died in the Burdwan Medical College,taking the death toll in two government hospitals in the state to 29. Dr Gadadhar Mitra,superintendent of the Burdwan Medical College said seven babies died in the ward for newborn and another five in the Nursery ward.

According to Dr Mitra,the majority number of babies were underweight and they were suffering from jaundice,encephalitis and septicemia. Two babies died after surgery in the Nursery ward,he said.

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They were under treatment for the last few days,said Dr Mitra. The doctors tried to save their lives,but unfortunately they died and there was no medical negligence,Dr Mitra added.

Dr Mitra said,The two wards for the children have been overcrowded. Total 190 babies have been admitted in the two wards against a capacity for 80 beds.

Dr Mitra admitted that more infrastructural facilities and number of beds were needed to accommodate this number of patients. Mitra said a team from the Health department would visit the hospital soon.