Kota infant deaths: Birla asks Govt to act sensitively

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday expressed concern over the death of infants at a government hospital in Rajasthan's Kota district and urged the state government to act with sensitivity.

Birla, representing the Kota parliamentary constituency, visited JK Lone Maternal and Child Hospital to take stock of the situation where 77 infants have reportedly died in the last 24 days. He also directed the officials to make adequate arrangement to ensure such incidents do not occur in future.

"The untimely death of 77 infants in 24 days in the largest hospital in Kota-Bundi parliamentary constituency is a matter of serious concern. The state government should act with sensitivity so that such incidents do not occur in future," Birla tweeted in Hindi.

"The untimely death of any infant due to lack of medical equipment and resources is worrying. According to the advice of doctors, the availability of necessary life-saving equipment and resources will be ensured in the next 15 days by public support," he said in another tweet.

During the visit to the hospital, Birla termed the death of newborns tragic and painful while instructing officials to make adequate medical arrangements.

On Saturday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had held a high-level review meeting on the infants' deaths at at the hospital in Kota.

The chief minister instructed health department officials to take proper care of newborns in all hospitals in the state and do intensive monitoring.

Also, he gave directions to set up a high-level committee of expert doctors and subject experts in the case of deaths to submit a report at the earliest.