18 newborns died every day within hours of their birth in Gujarat in 2019-20

Despite having one of the best healthcare facilities and infrastructure, more than 18 newborns died every day within hours of their birth in Gujarat in the past two years disclosed Vijay Rupani-led government before the state assembly.

However, there was not a single death of newborns reported from Devbhumi Dwarka, Botad, Anand, Aravalli and Mahisagar districts in the same period.

While answering a series of written questions put up by Congress legislators, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel informed the House that a total of 13,496 newborn babies out of the total 1,06,017 admitted in the Sick Newborn Care Units in government hospitals across the state, died during 2019 and 2020.

Nitin Patel who also holds the health portfolio informed that it means that on average over 18 infants died in these units.

The Congress legislators had asked as to how many children were admitted in the Sick Newborn Care Units in these two years, and also how many were from the government as well as from private hospitals.

Out of the total newborn admitted in the Sick Newborn Care units, a total of 69,314 were transferred from government hospitals, while 38,561 (36.37 per cent) from private hospitals.

Out of the total newborns admitted in the Panchmahal district, almost 79 per cent were shifted from private hospitals.

Out of the total 1,892 infants admitted in Panchmahals, 1,493 were admitted from private hospitals, while the rest 399 were from government setups.

Notably Rajkot is the native place of the Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

In Rajkot maximum number of deaths of newborns occurred that is around 18 per cent. Out of the total 10,623 newborns admitted in Rajkot, 1,834 had died.