Bhopal: As many as 68,301 infants had died during treatment in the Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) of government-run hospitals in Madhya Pradesh in the last five years, the Legislative Assembly was told on Tuesday.
In a written reply to a question asked by Congress MLA Jitu Patwari, state Health Minister Prabhuram Choudhary stated that 68,301 newborns died while 5,00,996 infants were treated at the 51 SNCUs of government hospitals during the five years from 2016-17 to 2020-21.
Patwari had sought the information about the children treated and the deaths at the SNCUs of state-run hospitals.
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The highest number of 14,759 newborns died during 2019-20, the minister stated.
As per the reply, 12,952 newborns died in 2016-17, 13,106 in 2017-18, 13,954 in 2018-19 and 13,530 in 2020-21.
The MLA also sought information about the status of the inquiry report into the death of newborn children in a fire tragedy at Bhopal's Hamidia Hospital.
The written reply said that the information in this regard is being collected.
According to officials, four children had died in this fire tragedy in the SNCU of Hamidia Hospital on November 7. Opposition Congress had claimed 14 fatalities in the incident.
PTI
