Cuban government reports newborns’ cause of death in a maternity hospital

Havana, Feb 6 (RHC) Cuba´s Public Health Ministry (MINSAP) on Monday announced the results of an in-depth investigation following the death of 10 preterm and low birth weight infants at the Diez de Octubre Gyneco-Obstetric Hospital.

On its official website, MINSAP revealed the results of the investigation by the National Commission on this unfortunate event that occurred in early January 2023 at the Diez de Octubre Gyneco-Obstetric Hospital, ‘that caused the death of several preterm and low birth weight newborns.

After concluding the investigation, the Commission ruled there was an outbreak of infection associated with health care at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

The investigation showed that six of 10 newborns who died – two of them after the fact was reported on January 16 – had signs of sepsis with positive blood cultures for Gram-negative germs, and the others died due to other causes.

It was shown that the outbreak was linked to violations of hygienic-sanitary measures, as well as problems in securing resources at the time.

As a result, 22 administrative measures were applied to 19 management personnel at different levels, as well as three to staff and workers.

Five of the main managers were fired, six were removed from their work, two were transferred to other places and nine others were reprimanded.

The new organizational, training, and control actions after the unfortunate event made it possible to put an end to the infectious outbreak on January 25, 2023, according to the health authorities. (Prensa Latina)