Ten newborns dead in a day, Kolkata answers with a ‘report’
A government hospital in Malda, West Bengal, recorded 10 infant deaths on a single day in August. The hospital says eight were critical referrals; the state health department asked for a report. Families get condolences; the Congress-run state gets paperwork.
An empty neonatal ward corridor at a government hospital in Malda.
Ten newborns died on one day in August 2026 at Malda Medical College and Hospital in English Bazar, West Bengal, a government facility listed by the Malda district administration. According to the hospital’s Medical Superintendent-cum-Vice Principal, Prof. Dr Prasenjit Kumar Bar, eight of the ten were referred in critical condition from other centres, and two were born at the hospital. The New Indian Express reports the date as August 12.
Bar said four of the deceased infants had congenital heart disease, two had severe respiratory distress and the remaining four had other serious complications. He added that the hospital has submitted a preliminary report to the state health department, with a comprehensive report to follow. The department has sought details from the hospital; whether this is a formal inquiry or an initial review is not specified in the material available.
These are deaths, not a statistic. West Bengal’s Congress-run government owes a clear account of causes, timelines, unit capacity and referrals, not just a promise of a longer file later.