Tripura: 3-day-old baby dies hours after 'COVID sample collection'

Agartala: A three-day-old infant died hours after his samples were collected by heath workers at Gobind Ballabh Pant (GBP) hospital in Agartala on Wednesday.

The infant was born at GBP Hospital on Monday and was shifted to the COVID ward of GBP hospital soon after his birth, since the mother had tested positive prior to the delivery of the baby.

Also Read: World Elephant Day: How the jumbo population declined in Tripura

Earlier a two-day-old baby girl succumbed to the virus at GBP Hospital, thereby becoming the youngest COVID-19 casualty on August 2.

Speaking with reporters, a family member of the infant said that on Monday the mother (Papita Paul Saha) delivered a baby boy and both of them were shifted to COVID-19 ward.

“Both of them were undergoing treatment at the COVID ward and the baby was stable until today [Wednesday] when the infant started bleeding from his nose soon after doctors collected the swap samples of the baby,” the family members of the infant said.

The mother of the infant alleged that the doctors inserted a swab sample collection kit into the nose of the infant and soon after he started bleeding from his nose.

Also Read: Manipur: Govt college teachers warned against expressing views on state policies

“I informed the doctor when his health condition deteriorated. The doctors said that my baby will be okay in some time. Till 12 pm, my baby was good but soon he died in front of me,” the mother said.

The father of the deceased Diptanu Saha is a daily-wage earner and a resident of ONGC area, around 6 km from Agartala.

Also Read: Tripura: ASHA worker booked for serving water mixed with ‘sanitizer’

Reacting to the issue, additional chief secretary SK Rakesh refuted the allegations and said that the infant’s samples were collected around 10 am while the baby died around 1 pm in the COVID ward.

“The family members have alleged that the infant succumbed to injuries but the mother had left the newborn to eat her lunch. Since the family members have brought allegations against the doctors, we have sent the body for autopsy,” Rakesh said.

Also Read: GU’s ‘discontinuation’ of Mising, Rabha courses: Blow to ‘inclusive education’

He also said that the death of the infant has no relation with the swap samples collection however once the autopsy reports arrives we will get to know the reason behind the death.

A total of 6,497 persons have tested positive for the virus, while 4,838 persons have been discharged from different COVID care centres in the state so far and the active cases remain at 1,598 with 43 COVID-19 deaths.

Also Read: COVID-19 safety protocols go for a toss in Guwahati College. Here’s why