Alarming 50% Rise in Infant Deaths in Assam's Cachar, 158 Lives Lost

At least 158 newborn deaths have been recorded in Assam’s Cachar district between April and November this year, an alarming rise of nearly 50 per cent since last year. Of these deaths, about 50 to 60 per cent have been within the neonatal period, highlighting the need for immediate steps.

According to Dr Ashutosh Barman, Joint Director of Health Services, Cachar, 158 infants below the age of five have died in the district between April and November 18. Most of these deaths, that is, about 50 to 60 per cent are recorded during the neonatal period, or the first 28 days of birth, he pointed out.

Dr Barman said, “From April till November 18, 158 infant deaths below the age of five years have been recorded in Cachar. This is about 50 per cent more than last year.”

Birth asphyxia, he said, is the prime reason followed by premature birth, and sepsis for newborn deaths. The highest number of such deaths were reported from Sonai PHC, Dholai, PHC, and Lakhipur Block PHC, Dr Barman stated.

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“The number of children below five years dying between May and November 2023 in Cachar was 77. The number went up drastically to 158 from April till November 18, 2024,” the health department official further said.
That comes out to a staggering 50 per cent (approximately) increase in death rate.

Reasons

According to Dr Barman, one of the main reasons for such alarmingly high death rates among infants is the overcrowding of the Silchar Medical College Hospital (SMCH). “We have taken steps to strengthen newborn care corners and reorientation of staff. These are our periphery-level steps. At the tertiary level, the SMCH is overcrowded and it is a perennial issue. To overcome that, we have decided that newborn children who require medical attention, but not critical care, will be kept at periphery hospitals like SM Dev Civil Hospital, Kalain CHC or Katigorah Model Hospital, where pediatricians are available. We will keep them there, threaten them and discharge them to decrease the burden on SMCH,” said Dr Barman.

Prevention

To prevent birth asphyxia, two medical officers from each block PHC, NHMs, and ANMs will be given reorientation training, he said. “We will also initiate referral measures to the patients' partograph (a paper form used to monitor labour and delivery) and provide training on referral protocols so that the patients reach hospitals at specific times,” added Dr Barman.

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