TUNIS — Outrage grew in Tunisia this past week after 11 premature babies died in less than 24 hours from infections acquired in the same hospital as doctors and patients expressed frustration over the country’s struggling public health care system.

The babies died recently at the Rabta hospital maternity ward in central Tunis, the country’s capital, after nosocomial, or hospital-acquired, infections led to deadly septic shocks, the health ministry said.

Four more babies died later, and two of those deaths were also linked to the infection, said officials at a news conference at the health ministry on Friday.

After the deaths, Abderraouf Cherif, the health minister, who had been nominated just months ago, quickly resigned. Several top health officials were fired.