Infant dies after falling from hospital bed

Balurghat: A two-day-old infant died allegedly after falling from the hospital bed on Sunday afternoon. The incident took place in Balurghat district hospital. A complaint has already been lodged with the hospital authorities against the on-duty doctor and staff terming the incident as an act of negligence.

According to a source, Arpita Das, an expectant woman, from Ajodhya, in the outskirts of Balurghat, was admitted to the hospital on Friday after she went into labour. She gave birth to a girl child at night. Her husband Sadhan said the mother and child were stable after the delivery. On Sunday, hospital authorities informed her husband that the baby had died. Family members resorted to an agitation and demanded immediate action. A large contingent of police force led by Inspector-in-Charge of Balurghat police station Jayanta Dutta rushed to the hospital. A complaint was lodged with the hospital superintendent and Chief Medical Officer of Health (South Dinajpur).

Arpita's father said: "Both the child and mother were stable. On Sunday, the hospital said the child died due to respiratory distress. When we received the body, we found wound marks on her head and other parts of the body. There was stain of blood on her lips."