Investigations were opened after the death of eleven babies between March 7 and 8 in the maternity ward of a hospital complex in Tunis. A tragedy that led to the resignation of the Minister of Health.
Eleven newborn babies died between March 7 and 8 at the “Lin Rabta” which is part of a large hospital complex in the Tunisian capital. “The elements of the current investigation are oriented towards a nosocomial infection severe, the starting point of which is a parenteral nutrition product “, that is to say administered by gastric tube, said the Tunisian Pediatric Society in a press release. The Ministry of Health said in a statement on the evening of March 9 that the deaths have “most likely” was caused by a “septic shock” due to blood infection.
Tunisian Health Minister Abderraouf Chérif resigned after the outcry over the deaths.
” I don’t know how he died, I didn’t have an explanation “, says a man on a Tunisian television channel, Saturday March 9, according to the newspaper Le Monde which explains that he had to pay 560 dinars (about 164 euros) to be able to take the body of his child out of the establishment.
The Tunisian pediatric society called on “the authorities to shed light” on the facts and recalled “the precarious conditions in which health professionals work and the urgency of making decisions to save the public hospital”. A medical investigation has been opened, said a ministry spokesperson. This internal investigation also aims to verify the organization of the department concerned in terms of hygiene and the management of its pharmacy.
And another investigation, judicial this time, was opened to determine the responsibilities in these eleven newborn deaths.
“Prevention and treatment measures have been taken to avoid further victims,” said a press release from the Tunisian Ministry of Health.
