ISLAMABAD: Taking a suo motu notice, the Supreme Court directed on Tuesday the Punjab health secretary to submit a report explaining reasons for infant deaths at a hospital in Sargodha within 48 hours.

According to media reports about 19 newborn babies had died at the Sargodha DHQ Teaching Hospital because of insufficient medical facilities, lack of oxygen supplies, incubators and alleged negligence of doctors.

The hospital’s nursery has 25 beds and five incubators, but it had 50 newborns admitted by Nov 21 with 20 of them in critical condition. Only five children were provided the facility of incubators.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had already taken a notice of the deaths and ordered suspension of the medical superintendent of the hospital.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2014