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Children's death: Minister gives clean chit to doctors

Kolkata Nov. 9. Virtually giving a clean chit to the Left Front Government on the crib death issue, the Union Health Minister, Shatrughan Sinha, today said negligence or incapability of doctors were not the factors responsible for the death of 14 children in the State-run B.C. Roy Hospital in September.

``The deaths were mainly due to demand-supply mismatch of oxygen cylinders at the hospital. But there is a great deal of improvement in the situation now with piped oxygen being provided,'' he told newsmen at the BJP office here.

Asked whether he was satisfied with the prevailing conditions, Mr. Shatrughan Sinha, who paid a visit to the hospital earlier in the day, said, ``there is no room for satisfaction. But I am happy about the improvements in the hospital. It is the largest referral one in West Bengal.'' He, however, said that it needed more infrastructure support and para-medical staff.

The Health Minister said West Bengal was not the only a State with health and poverty problems. On the Centre's responsibility, he said health was a State subject. ``We have certain responsibilities, but we cannot cross the line.'' — PTI

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