State’s 11-member health team visits Balurghat Hospital after maternity infection incident

BALURGHAT: As many as 12 days after eight maternity patients at Balurghat District Hospital fell ill under mysterious circumstances, an 11-member team from the state Health department from Kolkata, visited the hospital on Wednesday. The delegation arrived in the morning and inspected several hospital units, including the maternity ward. They also interacted with families of the affected patients.

Hospital sources confirmed that the Health department has assured free treatment for the affected women for the next six months. Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Sudip Das, who accompanied the team, said: “The state delegation discussed the situation in detail.

A report is being prepared on the illness of the eight patients who were very ill. As per protocol, proper maternity healthcare must be ensured.”

The patients had fallen sick on July 18, shortly after receiving an injection. Some developed high fever and others had breathing difficulties. They were immediately moved to the operation theatre and later shifted to the CCU. All were kept under observation for a week by a medical board and have since recovered and been discharged. However, traces of severe infection were detected and its cause remains unknown. Samples of the injection and hospital instruments were sent for laboratory tests. While initial reports revealed no clear contamination, further analysis is ongoing.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders from Balurghat staged a protest outside the hospital before the team’s arrival, demanding an impartial probe. “We want to know whether the infection was caused by faulty injections or hospital negligence,” said Samir Prasad Dutta, BJP town president. Family members welcomed the visit. “Officials assured us of six months of free treatment and asked about our concerns,” said Bappa Seal, a relative of one of the patients.