Coronavirus: 3-day old infant dies after COVID-19 sample collection, probe ordered

A day after a 3-day-old infant died soon after he underwent a COVID-19 swab collection procedure at the state-run Govind Ballabh Pant (GBP) Hospital in Agartala, the government has ordered a departmental enquiry and asked for the report within three days.

Tripura: A three-day-old boy died shortly after a swab was inserted into his nostril for a COVID-19 test at a state-run hospital here and he started bleeding, prompting the Tripura government to order an enquiry into the incident on Thursday (August 13).

The baby was born to a coronavirus positive woman in Agartala Government Medical College Hospital and doctors decided to test him for COVID-19.

Director of Tripura Health Services, Subhashish Debbarma, said, "A departmental enquiry was ordered. A three- member team formed to probe the matter was asked to submit its report within three days."

The deceased's mother Papiya Pal Saha said that her son was healthy till swab samples were collected from his nose on Wednesday (August 12) and he died shortly after that.

"I told the doctors that he was bleeding profusely. They assured me that he would be alright but my child died before my eyes," she said.

The family has alleged that medical negligence of the doctors and health workers caused the infant's death.

According to a report on a popular website, one of the family members said, "They must not have taken the sample with the delicacy it required to handle a three-day-old infant and may have damaged a vein inside because the child started bleeding which didn't stop.”

Additional chief secretary SK Rakesh, who is in-charge of the health department, said, "The infant's death may not be related to the collection of swab sample. We are waiting for autopsy reports."

The state Congress on Thursday took out a protest march against the alleged medical negligence, demanding the resignation of chief minister Biplab Deb, who also looks after the health portfolio.

Earlier on August 2, a two-day-old girl child succumbed to COVID-19 in the same hospital. Till now, 44 COVID-19 patients have died in Tripura while two died by suicide.