Hospital officials said approximately 34 deaths took place between April and June, followed by 46 deaths between July and September. (Express photo)At least 80 infants have died at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the district hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni over a six-month period, with the local BJP MLA calling for an investigation into the mortalities.While hospital authorities have attributed the deaths to premature births, low-birth weight and complications among critically ill infants, BJP MLA Dinesh Rai Munmun on Tuesday alleged that doctors were unavailable at night to attend to the patients.Civil Surgeon Dr Vinod Kumar Navkar said the SNCU receives critically ill newborns referred from remote rural areas across the district.“Many a times, these babies are born at six, seven or eight months. They have complications and require specialised care,” Navkar said.He said the risk of death was particularly high among premature and low-birth-weight infants.“According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Government of India data, a baby’s normal birth weight should be 2.5 kg. When a baby is born prematurely and weighs less than this, the mortality rate can be as high as 48 per cent,” he said.Read | 6 years on, new Indore hospital exists only on paper, but hiring in full swingNavkar also cited complications during labour and delivery.Story continues below this adNavkar said the district hospital had treated 1,188 newborns over the preceding six months, of whom 642 – more than half – had a birth weight below normal. He said 582 infants with substantially low birth weight had received treatment, including babies weighing 1,100 grams, 900 grams and even 500 grams.Hospital officials said approximately 34 deaths took place between April and June, followed by 46 deaths between July and September.Defending the hospital’s performance, Navkar said the neonatal mortality rate at the SNCU was below 7.5 per cent and lower than that of other districts in the Jabalpur division. He referred to 10% as a recommended mortality benchmark for neonatal units.Navkar also flagged the need for greater support from the paediatrics department of the medical college attached to the district hospital. He said the hospital had sought assistance from the department but the required duty arrangements had not been made.Story continues below this adThe hospital’s explanation comes amid allegations by families that their newborns did not receive adequate or timely treatment.Manish Warkade, a resident of Dungariya village in Barghat block, alleged that his wife did not receive timely attention after being admitted to the hospital in July. He said, “She (his wife) had been referred from Barghat to Seoni. The newborn died after being admitted to the SNCU.”Sanjay Uikey, a resident of Jawarkathi, said his wife was referred to Seoni after developing complications during pregnancy. The baby was born in the seventh month and weighed around 1.6 kg, he said. Doctors told the family that the newborn’s heartbeat was weak. “After several days in the SNCU, the baby was shifted to another machine and died a few hours later,” Uikey said.Rai told The Indian Express that he decided to conduct a surprise inspection after receiving complaints about doctors’ absence, allegations of demands for money from the patients, and a high number of infant deaths.Story continues below this adRai said when he arrived at the hospital, the outsourced staff there initially attempted to stop him from entering the premises, telling him that a departmental inquiry was under way and an audit was being conducted.According to Rai, no doctor was present at the time of his visit.“Forty-six children died because of difficulty in breathing. The hospital has a ventilator for children who have difficulty breathing, and a doctor is supposed to be appointed for this. But the doctor does not remain there at night. The nurses are not trained for this work,” Rai alleged.“Tell me, who goes to a district hospital? Poor people. If these children are dying because of doctors’ negligence, criminal action should be taken against those responsible,” he said.Story continues below this adRai also questioned the administration’s contention that the hospital’s infant mortality rate was lower than that of other districts. He argued that the recorded deaths might not reflect the full extent of the problem because critically ill newborns were being referred elsewhere.Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More Tags:Bharatiya Janata PartyMadhya Pradesh