Newborn dies at Siliguri hospital, kin stages protest

Kolkata: Family members of a woman whose newborn baby died of alleged medical negligence at the private hospital in Siliguri staged a demonstration inside the hospital campus and demanded a probe into the incident.

The victim's family members lodged a complaint with the chief medical officer of health in the district. It was learnt that Shibendu Pal, a resident of Jalpaiguri took his expecting wife to a private hospital at Hakimpur area of Siliguri on October 20. She had given birth to a boy child on the night of the same day. The family members said that the baby and his mother were recovering well and they were supposed to be released from the hospital within the next couple days.

The staff members of the hospital on Sunday morning told the family members that the baby died. When asked about the cause of the death, the nursing staff members said that milk got stuck in the baby's lung which choked the baby. However, the death certificate issued by the hospital said that the baby died of pneumonia, as claimed by the family members of the woman.

This infuriated the family members who staged a demonstration alleging that the baby died of negligence by the doctors and the nursing staff members. The incident triggered tension among the patients undergoing treatment at the hospital. Alleging mystery over the death of the baby, the family members earlier lodged a complaint with the local police station on November 2. Pal, the baby's father, said that the baby was completely fine. One doctor advised a nursing staff member to feed the baby milk. He alleged when the baby was being fed, the baby died.

He also alleged that the nursing staff members initially said that the baby died after milk stuck in his lung. Later, the death certificate issued by the hospital mentioned pneumonia. The victim's farther also demand a high-level inquiry into the baby's death.

The private hospital authorities denied the allegation of negligence but the district health officials are looking into the matter.