The Cuban Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) reported today in a statement the results reached by a National Commission created to investigate the death of ten newborns (eight cases were originally reported) at the Diez de Octubre Gynecology Hospital in Havana, during the month of January.
The investigation detected “the presence of an outbreak of infection associated with health care in the neonatal intensive care room” of the hospital.
The information adds that “six of the ten babies who died […] they had signs of sepsis with positive blood cultures for Gram-negative germs” and that “the others died due to other causes, caused by their delicate state of health.”
More details on the death of eight babies in the maternal hospital in Havana
It also stresses that “the outbreak was linked to violations of hygienic-sanitary measures”, added to “problems in securing resources that the center was presenting at that time” and that “implied affectations in the quality of patient care processes. »
Finally, the MINSAP announced that “22 administrative measures were applied to 19 management cadres at different levels, as well as three to officials and workers. Due to these measures, five of the main executives were separated from the entity, six were removed from their position, two changed jobs and another nine received reprimands.
The public health authorities affirm that the infectious outbreak was concluded on January 25, 2023 and assure that “the identified deficiencies” will be resolved and “the risks of infections related to health care will be minimized, in all the facilities of the country”.
