Malda crib deaths now 14,panel finds ‘no abnormal cause’

Even as the toll in infant deaths in Malda Medical College Hospital rose to 14,a three-member expert team on Sunday ascertained that the casualties were caused due to malnutrition and low weight.

Two more infants died last night taking the toll to 14 since May 22,as the expert team headed by joint director of Medical Education Research and Training (MERT) Dr Indrajit Saha said,malnutrition and low weight were causes for the deaths.

The team visited the hospital premises and various departments and surveyed precautionary measures to avoid such incidents. According to the team’s report,the cause of deaths was nothing “abnormal” with malnutrition being a common factor. Earlier reports had put the death toll figure to 16. Meanwhile,the seven-member committee formed after the deaths by the DM also submitted their report to the hospital authorities.