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Didi deflects infant deaths heat
Forced on to the backfoot in the wake of infant deaths across Government hospitals, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a counter-offensive against her opponents for spreading canards against her Government as “many other States had a poorer track record” than Bengal when it came to infant mortality.
The Chief Minister’s remark came on Friday amid reports of 19 more infants dying in Malda and Bankura districts in the past 48 hours. While Bankura reported 10 deaths, the remaining nine were from Malda.
Friday’s figure pushed the total infant death toll in the past 45 days or so to 175, sources in the Health Department said.
The Chief Minister, whose party is the second biggest ally in the UPA-led Central Government, cited “poorer” IMR data of many hospitals in Congress-ruled States to drive her point home.
“Bengal is far better than many other States as we are placed in the 9th position,” Banerjee said advising medical staff that they had “every right to protest false reporting done by a section of the media.”
“Those who ruled this State for the past 34 years have teamed up with some of our well-wishers to spread disinformation campaign to gain narrow political points” Banerjee thundered at a meeting of the health staff.
“Our record is better than many States like Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi” she claimed. “In Chandigarh (which is highly developed in terms of infrastructure) out of 17,766 admissions there were 1,786 deaths. During this period Bengal recorded 249 deaths out of 1,849 admissions which showed an IMR of 11 per cent,” she maintained.
The Chief Minister, who also holds the Health portfolio, said the Government was determined on bringing the infant mortality rate down. “There has been a 3 per cent drop in the IMR after the Trinamool Government came to power,” Banerjee claimed. “Some of our well-wishers are not only spreading disinformation campaign regarding the health services but are also unnecessarily raking up the farmers’ suicide issue,” she said in an indirect reference to the media. She said her Government had done an “excellent job” in starting the Kisan Credit Card. “We will do more for the farmers but we should be given time to work,” she said.
Forced on to the backfoot in the wake of infant deaths across Government hospitals, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a counter-offensive against her opponents for spreading canards against her Government as “many other States had a poorer track record” than Bengal when it came to infant mortality.
The Chief Minister’s remark came on Friday amid reports of 19 more infants dying in Malda and Bankura districts in the past 48 hours. While Bankura reported 10 deaths, the remaining nine were from Malda.
Friday’s figure pushed the total infant death toll in the past 45 days or so to 175, sources in the Health Department said.
The Chief Minister, whose party is the second biggest ally in the UPA-led Central Government, cited “poorer” IMR data of many hospitals in Congress-ruled States to drive her point home.
“Bengal is far better than many other States as we are placed in the 9th position,” Banerjee said advising medical staff that they had “every right to protest false reporting done by a section of the media.”
“Those who ruled this State for the past 34 years have teamed up with some of our well-wishers to spread disinformation campaign to gain narrow political points” Banerjee thundered at a meeting of the health staff.
“Our record is better than many States like Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi” she claimed. “In Chandigarh (which is highly developed in terms of infrastructure) out of 17,766 admissions there were 1,786 deaths. During this period Bengal recorded 249 deaths out of 1,849 admissions which showed an IMR of 11 per cent,” she maintained.
The Chief Minister, who also holds the Health portfolio, said the Government was determined on bringing the infant mortality rate down. “There has been a 3 per cent drop in the IMR after the Trinamool Government came to power,” Banerjee claimed. “Some of our well-wishers are not only spreading disinformation campaign regarding the health services but are also unnecessarily raking up the farmers’ suicide issue,” she said in an indirect reference to the media. She said her Government had done an “excellent job” in starting the Kisan Credit Card. “We will do more for the farmers but we should be given time to work,” she said.
