At least 15 infants have died in six days at the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) in Assam, following which the state health department has launched a probe into the matter. The deaths happened at the special care newborn unit of the hospital between November 1 and 6.

The hospital authorities have formed a six-member committee to consider the matter, JMCH Superintendent Saurav Borkakoti told PTI.

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However, officials claim that the deaths were not due to medical negligence but hospital apathy. “Sometimes the number of patients coming to the hospital may be large and so the figure of death of newborns may also be large. It depends in what situation the patients have come to the hospital. They may have come with prolonged labour, with low birth weight. In such circumstances, those newborns may die,” Borkakoti said.