Delhi: 10,081 children died in Kalawati Hospital in 5 years

New Delhi: As many as 10,081 children have died in the Kalawati Saran Children Hospital (KSCH) in Delhi during the last five years, while 5,960 children died in Safdarjung Hospital and another 1,034 children died in RML Hospital during the period.

Stating this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad said during 2008 upto July 31, 2012 a total of 1,37,078 children were admitted to the Kalawati Children Hospital while 10,081 died.

Azad said since public health is a state subject, no information on the death of children across the country is maintained, but said as many as 1,034 and 5,960 children died in central government hospitals, RML Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital, respectively during the said period.

The Minister said no child had died due to negligence of doctors of staff at the hospital in the central government hospitals in Delhi.

Azad said there are various common causes for deaths in Kalawati Hospital which include preterm and other ill-defined condition in prenatal period, bronchopneumonia and other respiratory infections, neonatal septicaemia, meningitis and intestinal infections.

Besides, Azad said 50 per cent of these deaths were within first 48 hours of admission, indicating that these patients were brought late and in a critical condition as critically sick patients are referred to Delhi hospitals.