12 babies die in Bengal govt hospital,Mamata orders inquiry

Mamata,who holds Health portfolio,said children had been brought to the hospital in critical health.

The West Bengal government has ordered an inquiry into the deaths of 12 babies at at a state-run hospital which triggered violent protests by relatives and local residents.

The police rushed to the B C Roy Hospital for Children and dispersed around 300 angry demonstrators who had gathered in front of the gates and blocked traffic for about an hour,hospital officials said.

Unconfirmed sources,however,said 17 babies died at the hospital in the last 48 hours.

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Superintendent of the hospital,D Pal,said that most of the babies were either premature or suffering from septicemia or low-birth weight problems.

The medical institute is considered to be the largest referral paediatric hospital in the eastern region.

Earlier in September 2002,there were protests in the same hospital when 14 children died of broncho-pneumonia and gastroenteritis.

Asked to comment on the incident,Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said these children were admitted to the hospital at the last stage and they did not die of enteric disease.

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I have ordered an inquiry into the incident and asked authorities to give me a report, she said.

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