Thane Civil Hospital Ends Intern’s Placement After Infant Death

Thane: A four-day-old, prematurely born baby died at Thane Civil Hospital on Tuesday, prompting allegations of negligence from the family and activists, who claimed an intern was assigned to a critical case. The hospital assured the family it would review the case and later terminated the intern’s placement.The infant, born prematurely in the seventh month of pregnancy on June 6 and weighing 800 gm, was admitted to the NICU. “The mother was allowed to feed the baby on Monday, but, as the newborn was unable to ingest milk, the family sought help,” said Mahesh Kadam, Thane Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary. The intern allegedly provided a feeding tube but failed to monitor the baby’s dropping oxygen levels despite alerts. “Senior doctors later intervened and placed the child under observation late Monday. However, he was declared dead the following morning,” added Kadam.Hospital officials said the infant was critical since birth and under continuous observation. They added that interns receive mandatory training and that the family had been informed of the baby’s condition. The internship of the doctor was cancelled, said a senior doctor.