SUKKUR: Four newborn babies suffocated to death in their incubators after having remained without oxygen for over 12 hours at a private hospital in Thull town early on Saturday morning.

Sources in the hospital said that the babies were admitted two days ago to Israr Clinic which was run by Dr Israr Ahmed Noonari, who claimed to be a child specialist.

The four infants who were not even named yet and were sons of Miandad Bungali, Hadi Bux Jamali, Gul Hassan Sarki and Wahid Buriro were kept in incubators under the supervision of a doctor, said the sources.

In the absence of a vigilant nurse, at some point during the night the cylinder supplying them oxygen got empty and the infants suffocated to death for lack of oxygen for over 12 hours, said the sources.

When the doctor arrived in the morning, he found all the children dead, sparking furious protest by the victims’ parents and relatives, they said.

The town authorities moved into action to bring the situation under control and MPA Dr Sohrab Sarki intervened to help end the protest. He assured the aggrieved families that strict action would be taken against the persons responsible for the tragedy.

The hospital staff disappeared after the children’s deaths and the subsequent protest while the authorities sealed the clinic.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2019