Governor condemns mothers for infant deaths in Novokuznetsk hospital

Governor Ilya Seredyuk commented on the situation with the deaths of children at Maternity Hospital No. 1 in Novokuznetsk during a direct line on Thursday, January 22. Authorities are not leaning towards the version of a hospital-acquired infection.

The head of the region urged citizens not to make hasty conclusions and to wait for the results of the examinations. He emphasized that during the New Year holidays, more than 140 births took place at the institution, and the absolute majority of children were discharged from the hospital with high Apgar scores.

He also does not believe that the cause of what happened lies in a medical error, since the children who died in the intensive care unit had different attending doctors.

He emphasized that the deceased infants were born with varying degrees of prematurity, and the weight of some did not exceed 600 grams (about 1.3 lb).

“The mothers were not monitored during pregnancy, there was no medical history, no tests. It is sad to say, but some arrived for delivery by ambulance in a state of alcohol intoxication. We need to identify and register those pregnant women who are not under observation,” said Seredyuk.

After inspecting the maternity hospitals in Novokuznetsk, the governor gathered mostly positive feedback from young mothers and pregnant women about the work of both organizations.

He promised to expand the current maternity hospital and add specialists so that doctors are not overwhelmed by the increased flow of patients. There were 80 beds in operation, and 25 more will be added in the near future.