Three newborn babies have died in just four days from bacterial infection in Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Johor Bahru with one of the parents accusing the hospital management of negligence and covering up the situation.

NONE According to China Press , Theng Yoon Chao, 26, told a press conference in Johor Baru yesterday that his 26-year-old wife gave birth to a healthy pair of twin daughters on Dec 22 in the state hospital.

The elder daughter was found to be infected with Gram-negative bacteria on Dec 24 and treated in the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) before she passed away on Dec 26.

The cause of death is Klebsiella Sepsis caused by the bacterial infection, said Theng.

NONE A day after, Theng ( left in photo ) transferred the younger daughter to a private hospital for treatment after she was also diagnosed with a similar infection.

Accompanied by DAP national youth secretary Tan Hong Pin ( right in photo ), Theng claimed that the hospital management was aware of the spreading infection among newborn babies, but chose not to inform the patients and mothers, and failed to take emergency measures to contain it.

Theng said it took four hours for the hospital to transfer his elder daughter to the ICU after she was found to have breathing difficulties.

His request for the younger daughter to be placed in an incubator after the elder daughter's death, was rejected by the hospital on the grounds that there were not enough incubators were available and that the younger daughter was just crying normally.

Theng learned that two other babies of a Malay couple had also been killed by a similar infection.

China Press managed to interview the father, known as Mohd Nazir, who lost two of his triplets in the same hospital.

The three infants were born on Dec 24 and he was informed by the hospital on Dec 29 that the trio had been infected with the bacteria.

“I was driving to the hospital when my eldest and youngest daughters were in critical condition.

"Unfortunately, they passed away on the same day at 1pm and 2pm respectively,” he was quoted as saying.

After he found out that both babies were killed by the same bacterial infection, he requested the doctor to transfer his second son to another private hospital, and the son survived eventually.

However, Mohd Nazir decided not to pursue the matter and hoped that such an incident will not be repeated.

Crowded maternity ward

He pointed out that the crowded maternity ward with its large number of babies could be the reason behind the rapid spread of bacteria.

His view was shared by Theng who claimed that the ceiling in the maternity ward was dirty, and that newborn babies were placed in the corridor where many people passed by and in the poorly ventilated normal ward there were no air conditioners.

Theng has filed an official complaint with the health department on Dec 27, but was told that the investigation is still ongoing.

Tan, who is also Johor DAP chief, went to the hospital with Theng yesterday to request for a meeting with the hospital management, but only managed to meet the public relations officer.

According to Tan, the officer informed him that the management had called an emergency meeting and that a probe into the bacterial infection has been carried out and the results will be announced after 14 days.