With five new infant deaths reported yesterday the toll at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics has gone up to 53 in past 11 days.
The spate of deaths at the childcare centre, popularly known as Shishu Bhawan, has infuriated people while the Odisha government is trying to check the deaths by pressing experienced doctors and other staff into service.
It seems the referral health institution in Cuttack is a virtual death trap as more than 5,900 infants have died while undergoing treatment in the last five years.
Meanwhile, a seven member Central team led by the Additional Secretary of the Health Ministry and specialist doctors visited Sishu Bhavan to assess the situation.
The Odisha state government has also formed a technical committee to probe the incident and the report is expected next week.
Odisha Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said the state government is taking all steps to ensure better services in the hospital.
As per the health department report, as many as 3,869 infants have died in OPD, while 2,034 have died in ICU in the last five years from 2010-11 to 2014-15.
In the last three months, 407 infants have died in both OPD and ICU.
Earlier, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, along with health experts visited Sishu Bhawan to take stock of the situation.
“The Centre will provide all support to revamp the Sishu Bhawan infrastructure, if the Odisha government seeks. A long term plan would be prepared for infrastructure development of the hospital,” said Pradhan.
Prasanta Patnaik 
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