...

Philippine hospital closes neo-natal unit after 25 babies die

Other News Materials 8 June 2008 15:33 (UTC +04:00)

( dpa ) - A hospital in the Philippine capital has closed its neo-natal intensive care unit for a major cleanup following the death of 25 babies in a month due to infection, the health department said Sunday.

Sanitation measures are now underway at the neo-natal intensive care unit, nursery and delivery areas of the Ospital ng Makati n Manila's financial city of Makati, according to the Department of Health.

Eric Tayag of the Department of Health's National Epidemiology Centre said an investigation was also being conducted to determine if the city-run hospital was negligent.

He said a total of 45 cases of neonatal sepsis, a blood infection contracted by infants less than 90 days old, were reported in May at the Ospital ng Makati.

Twenty-five of the babies in the nursery died of the infection in May, when it had a total of 273 deliveries.

Tayag said the Department of Health has also restricted the number of women giving birth in the hospital while its investigation was ongoing. The city government of Makati has also launched a separate probe.

Latest

Latest