While the steel city was reeling by killer Coronavirus, as many as 659 children died of diseases other than Covid-19 died at the MGM medical college hospital during the spell of the pandemic in the year 2020-21.

Significantly, only seven children died to Covid-19 in the entire East Singhbhum district, including the medical college hospital during this period. According to district health department sources, most of the deaths of the children belonging to the age groups starting from 0 year to 12 years took place due to malnutrition and underweight.

While the entire government-run health hubs from the primary health centre upto MGM medical college hospital level remained focused in detection and treatment of the Covid-19, the cases of premature delivery, under-weight new borns, infection, absence of proper treatment and malnutrition from across the district were referred to the medical college hospital where the children succumbed to their illness.

Deputy superintendent, MGM medical college hospital, Nakul Prashad Chaudhury confirmed the death of over 650 children at the medical college hospital during the Covid-19 period. "During the period starting from March 2020 to December 2021, in all 8,747 children were admitted with the complaints of various ailments at the medical college hospital. Of these children, 659 succumbed to their illness. Significantly, non of these 659 children was Covid positive, " said Chaudhury while talking to The Telegraph Online.

Chaudhury pointed though non of the 659 patients was Covid positive, the pandemic must have a bearing on the untimely deaths of so many children. A senior doctor at the medical college hospital pointed out lack of proper facility at the hospital must be the main reason.

"For example, there are six warmers at the neonatal ICU for the treatment of the premature babies. But instead of keeping one baby in a warmer, five or sis children are accommodated in it. It may anybody's guess what will happen if a warmer is cramped, " quipped the senior doctor posted at the hospital's paediatric department requesting anonymity.