Tripura: 3-day-old baby dies after Covid sample collection; probe ordered

Agartala, Aug. 13 (PTI): A three-day-old boy died shortly after a swab was inserted into his nostril for a Covid-19 test at a state-run hospital here and he started bleeding, prompting the Tripura government to order an enquiry into the incident on Thursday.

The baby was born to a coronavirus positive woman in Agartala Government Medical College Hospital and doctors decided to test him for Covid-19.

Director of Tripura Health Services, Subhashish Debbarma, said, "A departmental enquiry was ordered. A three- member team formed to probe the matter was asked to submit its report within three days."

The deceased's mother Papiya Pal Saha said that her son was healthy till swab samples were collected from his nose on Wednesday and he died shortly after that.

"I told the doctors that he was bleeding profusely.

They assured me that he would be alright but my child died before my eyes," she said.

Additional Chief Secretary SK Rakesh, who is in-charge of the health department, said, "The infant's death may not be related to the collection of swab sample. We are waiting for autopsy reports."

Earlier on August 2, a two-day-old girl child succumbed to Covid-19 in the same hospital.