MALDA: Horror of crib death is back to haunt Bengal with 12 newborns dying at the Malda Medical College and Hospital in the last 48 hours.

Though hospital authorities and health officials found "nothing unusual" in this, Union MoS for health Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury blamed the state government for the crib deaths. With this figure, the number of baby deaths in Malda reached 17 in the last 72 hours.

Those who lost their babies in the last 24 hours include Suma Bibi of Kanchantar under English Bazaar area. Suma's twins died within an hour of their birth. Earlier, Anita Hira of Gazole had lost her 5-hour-old son. While Kaliachak's Julema Biwi's 2-day-old baby died in the hospital on Friday, Tatia Mondal from the same village lost her one-day-old son on Thursday night. Harishchandrapur's Mumtaj Biwi was inconsolable as she lost her three newborns on Friday.

It has been learnt that four babies died on 16th of this month, five on 17th and eight on 18th. However, the hospital authorities said 12 babies died in the last three days. M A Rashid, vice-principal of the college, said, "Between midnight of October 15 and 16, seven babies died. Between midnight of October 16 and 17, four babies died and only one newborn died on Friday morning." According to him, most of the babies were born underweight and taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Tridib Bandyopdhyay, chairman of the task force on infant mortality, found "nothing unusual" in the crib deaths. "Seven babies died in the last 24 hours. This is not unusual keeping in mind the huge number of patients visiting the Malda Medical College and Hospital. I've heard that most of the babies were underweight or suffering from asphyxia."

"The sick neonatal care unit in Malda has modern equipment and there is no need to take any emergency step in the wake of the deaths," he added.

However, the Union minister said: "The state has failed to check crib deaths. Whenever there are baby deaths, we are told that either they were underweight or the mothers were malnourished. Then what are the Integrated Child Development Services workers doing?"