By Mark Trevelyan
Jan 13 (Reuters) – Russia has opened a criminal investigation into the deaths of nine newborn babies this month due to suspected negligence at a Siberian maternity hospital, authorities said on Tuesday.
The state Investigative Committee said staff were being questioned, medical records had been seized and forensic tests were under way to determine the cause of the deaths in the city of Novokuznetsk.
The hospital said it had treated 32 babies in intensive care since December 1, including 17 who had been in critical condition with “severe intrauterine infections”.
“All the newborns received medical care in accordance with clinical guidelines. Unfortunately, nine babies did not survive,” it said in a statement.
Four babies were still in intensive care and four others had been transferred to another hospital, it said.
The case was widely reported by Russian state and independent news outlets, and provoked outrage on social media.
Ilya Seredyuk, governor of the Kuzbass region of Siberia where the hospital is located, said its main doctor had been suspended from his post while the investigation was under way.
His announcement on the Telegram messaging channel provoked dozens of shocked and angry comments about the state of the health system.
Some people demanded the firing of top officials, while others asked how Russia could expect to raise its low birth rate – a key priority set by President Vladimir Putin – if such tragedies were allowed to happen.
Regional health minister Andrei Tarasov, asked about the deaths in a television interview, replied: “A situation occurred. At the moment an investigation is taking place.”
State media published video of investigators walking through the hospital and inspecting documents.
The hospital said on its website that it had suspended admissions because of an excess of respiratory infections, and was carrying out quarantine measures. It did not cite the babies’ deaths as the reason for not taking in new patients.
(Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Alison Williams)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.