The Ministry of Health has revealed that over the past 23 days, four infants have died at the CWM Hospital from pre‑existing, life‑threatening conditions, including perinatal asphyxia, pneumonia and severe prematurity.
The Ministry has now introduced a partial quarantine in sections of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of NICU at CWM.
The Ministry adds that subsequent blood and spinal fluid tests showed that the infants had also contracted the acinetobacter baumanii bacterium.
They say there is no evidence that this bacterium, which is wide‑spread in hospitals around the world, caused the deaths of these infants.
However, as a precaution, the Ministry of Health has also introduced a partial quarantine in sections of Intensive Care Unit where these infants were treated.
The Ministry states all new neonatal admissions requiring intensive care are being treated in areas of NICU where there is no serious risk of bacterial infection.
Ministry for Health Permanent Secretary Phillip Davies says they are taking every action to minimize the risk of bacterial infection.
Davis says they are working closely with local expert staff from the World Health Organisation to ensure their work is in line with international best practice.
He stresses that there is no evidence that any infant deaths have been caused by infection from this bacterium.
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