Infant Deaths Blamed on Hospital

Chinese authorities fired two top officials at a hospital in Xian, capital of central Shaanxi province, where an infection killed eight newborn babies.

Xian Jiaotong University, which runs the hospital where the babies died between Aug. 28 and Sept. 16, said Ma Aiqun, hospital director, and his deputy in charge of medical affairs, Lu Yi, had been sacked, China Daily reported Monday.

The report said the hospital did not report the deaths to health ministry or provincial officials until a week after the eight babies died. The eight were among 94 babies born during the period in question.

A subsequent investigation showed that hospital infection had caused the deaths, the newspaper reported.

Provincial authorities said steps have been taken at all health institutions to ensure such incidents do not occur again.

The Xian Jiaotong University last week dismissed nine hospital officials, doctors and nurses accused of being responsible in the incident.