After 89 Newborn Deaths, Bengal Shakes Up Malda Hospital Leadership

The West Bengal Health Department has removed the superintendent and the head of paediatrics at Malda Medical College and Hospital, acting on concerns raised after 89 newborns died at the facility in August.

Orders issued on Saturday relieved Prosenjit Bor, the hospital's MSVP (Superintendent), and Sushma Shaw, head of the paediatrics department, of their posts. The action came within a week of an inspection by a seven-member expert committee led by Health Department official Prolay Acharya.

The committee visited the hospital's paediatrics and maternity units and met with college officials. During the review, it flagged a lack of coordination among different departments as a key concern, according to hospital sources. The panel is expected to submit a detailed written report to the state health department.

Ganesh Chandra Gain, a professor in the ENT department, has been appointed as the new superintendent. Bishwanath Basu, a paediatrics professor at NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, will take over as head of the paediatrics department.

Partha Pratim Mukherjee, principal of Malda Medical College, confirmed receipt of the orders. He said the newly appointed officials are expected to assume charge on Monday. The expert committee's broader findings on the newborn deaths and the functioning of the two departments are still awaited.