Nine children with acute respiratory infection, fever die at Siliguri hospital

In a series of deaths at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital of West Bengal's Siliguri, an eight-month-old baby from Jalpaiguri district, suffering from fever and acute respiratory infection (ARI) died. This was the ninth death of a child suffering from the disease.

Dr Sanjay Chakraborty, the Medical Superintendent and Vice-Principal (MSVP) of NBMCH said, "In the paediatric department, within 24 hours, 27 children were admitted. Out of them, 10 patients were diagnosed with ARI, of which, three were referred from various district hospitals. A total of 56 children have been admitted to the hospital."

"A total of nine children have lost their lives at the hospital who were suffering from fever and acute respiratory infection (ARI) problems, including one who died early last morning," said Chakraborty.

However, none of the children was found to be COVID-19 positive.

"We have diagnosed all children and none of them was found to be COVID-19 positive. The authorities have arranged a good number of beds at the hospital for the ARI patients along with other arrangements to combat the situation," he said.

Chakraborty appealed to the parents and guardians of children to be cautious if their child has a fever, especially those who have low birth weight and other diseases.

Meanwhile, Swapan Roy, a relative of an admitted child raised questions on the treatment said that the doctors are not attending those who are questioning. "We are too worried about the rising deaths of children," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )

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