Other hospitals have been referring newborns to Nashik Civil Hospital

Having delivered a baby at 4 am at a local private hospital in Peint, Padma Kumbhar was told to immediately shift her 1.5 kg baby boy to Nashik Civil Hospital, as they had an incubator facility avaliable.

Since then, she has been waiting outside the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) on the first floor to ensure her baby was fine.

Just like Kumbhar, other women from nearby tribal areas are told to shift their babies to Nashik Civil Hospital to keep them inside the incubator due to their poor health. According to a doctor from the hospital, 50 per cent of newborns admitted are outside patients, which are delivered in other hospitals, but later referred to Nashik Civil Hospital when their chance of living is low.

Another mother, Majula Torade, who has a 26-day-old baby, can be seen crying outside the SNCU ward. She says doctors have told her there is a very small chances her baby will survive. She delivered the baby prematurely, in her eight month of pregnancy. "My son was admitted in a private hospital for 26 days, and on Saturday morning I was told to shift him to this hospital. Even if there is an issue of space, we don't have any option other than bringing the infant to this hospital," said Majunla.

While in August this year, 55 infants died in the SNCU ward, in September, the death toll of babies has already reached 15.

According to the doctor in-charge, a minimum of three infants are kept inside a single incubator.

"There are times when people leave their baby on the table. As it is a government hospital, we can't deny service even when we don't have manpower. Due to an increase in the number of cases coming in from private hospitals, we have no option but to admit the babies. Therefore, we have to keep more than one baby in a single incubator," said Nashik District Civil Surgeon Dr Suresh Jagdale.