704 deaths of children in 19 months at Mumbai’s J.J. Hospital

NP NEWS 24 ONLINE- In a shocking revelation of a data given by Maharashtra state’s information department, record shows that about 704 children in the pediatric section have died in past 19 months at a Mumbai based hospital named Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Hospital(J.J.).

Between the years from January, 2017 to 31 July, 2018, according to the figures, about 704 children died after medical treatment or surgeries. Such figures were revealed after the information provided by the hospital’s death certificate department.

To enquire further about this, Dr. Mukund Tayade, the in-charge of the hospital was tried to contact but due to being out of reach, he was not been able to contacted.

After the renovation of the hospital’s building, which had the pediatric department was demolished and was reconstructed. A year and half ago, dermatology and gynaecology departments were also shifted to the same building.

The tests of tuberculosis and HIV are also conducted in the same building. There are a large number of patients who come to the same building of hospital for Chiropractic screening or HIV tests and other health check-ups.

Notably, there is a large amount of waste which is dumped in the compound of this area which increases the possibility of transmission of infection. Also, there are large piles of wastes from the sewage treatment plant which are dumped besides the building. The immunosuppression of young children with various diseases is less than the newly born babies. They need to keep away from the infection strictly. There is also a possibility that these children might have been affected due to lack of proper hygiene.

Under the right to information act, to know about the condition of rising deaths of children in the state of Maharashtra in the hospital’s newly shifted pediatric section, Secretary of Maharashtra State Right To Information Federation, Sameer Vijay Shirwadkar asked the hospital to provide the information.

Thus, in these five pediatric departments, 37, 38, 39 and 40, 41 a total of 704 children patients have died during this period. The department has also asked about the details of patients who underwent tests for HIV and tuberculosis, but are yet not provided by hospital.