CM gets figures right but dates wrong: Left

Stating that as per the Sample Registration Survey,infant mortality in the state had come down,he said thishappened during the Left Front regime. ‘’The survey was done when the Left Front was in power. So its report pertains to that time. The infant mortality rate during the present regime will be known later,’’ Mishra said.

Claiming that a ‘procession of infant deaths’ was on in Malda district,he said the Chief Minister’s explanation that the infants who died were underweight was not ‘satisfactory.’

Pointing out that infants in the age group of 1 day to 28 days were most vulnerable,he said the Left Front government had set up several Sick Newborn Care Units to take care of such children.

“The sick childcare model started by the Left Front government was lauded by the UNICEF which recommended it as a model for the developing countries. It was also adopted by some states of our country,’’ Mishra said.

Accusing the present government of not maintaining the neonatal care infrastructure set up by the Left Front government,he said,‘’the running units have almost become defunct. They do not have the people to look after them.’’