Health Minister Tapan Chakraborty was reading out a statement in reply to a news-item on the death of three new-born babies at IGM hospital on August 30.
He informed the House that a three-member team headed by Dr RK Dhar, Director of Family Welfare had conducted a departmental inquiry into the death of the babies.
According to the committee’s report, three expectant mothers had given birth to three still-babies at Maternity Ward of the hospital.
Chakraborty said that the panel had identified some loopholes leading to the death of the three newborn babies as well as subsequent untoward incident in front of the hospital. But the panel did not identify the guilty doctors and nurses.
Opposition MLA Asish Saha, who moved the notice, alleged that the Minister was trying to protect the guilty doctors and nurses because the panel did not address the alleged laxity in the duty of the hospital authority.
He also demanded judicial probe to find out the guilty doctors and nurses.
Expressing serious concern over the way the department probe had been carried out, Opposition leader Ratan Lal Nath and MLA Sudip Roy Barman demanded a judicial probe into the incident.
Criticising the Health Minister, they claimed that the ill-fated babies were very much alive before and after the delivery.
However, the government appointed panel had ignored the truth in its finding to shield the guilty doctors and nurses.
However, Congress legislators were insisting for judicial probe into the sensitive issue that led to heated argument with the Minister.
In spite of intense pressure, the Minister turned down the demand saying that two FIRs had been lodged with the police. Let the police get it investigated, he added.