Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal orders inquiry into death of infants in Ludhiana

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has ordered an inquiry into the deaths of four new-born babies in a Ludhiana Hospital and said those found negligent "would not be spared". 

Condoling the death of new-borns at the Ludhiana Civil Hospital yesterday during the process of delivery, the Chief Minister said he has asked the officers to ascertain the causes and circumstances which led to the incident and submit the inquiry report at the earliest.

Assuring prompt action, Badal said that if laxity was found on the part of any public servant in dealing with this incident, he/she "would not be spared and brought to book as per the law of the land."

Three days after the inauguration of a mother-child wing at the hospital, four new-borns died yesterday during the time of delivery, which the families alleged were carried out by "class IV employees in the absence of gynaecologists".

Ludhiana Civil Hospital head Subash Batta said that four kids died at the time of delivery, however, the hospital has denied any negligence on its part. The families alleged that in the absence of the gynaecologist, the deliveries were facilitated by class IV employees, a claim which was denied by the doctors.

Hospital's gynaecologist head Alka Mittal said that the pregnant women were being shifted to the old wing of the hospital as the Operation Theatre in the new mother-child wing was not functional.