Doctor linked to babies deaths

The hospital is located in Melbourne, Australia and is now under review for negligence in the deaths of seven newborns.

Over the seven years to 2013, Djerriwarrh Health Service, which runs the hospital, experienced a near-doubling in the number of births at Bacchus Marsh.

Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy said the death of 10 babies across a two year period at the health service was much higher than usual.

The entire board of the Djerriwarrh Health Service has been stood down and all midwifery services have been reviewed in what has been described as a “catastrophic event”.

Ms Hennessy said all of the investigation’s findings would be implemented both at the hospital involved and, in a few cases, more broadly across Victoria.

It is believed that one of the errors was in monitoring fetal heart rates during births.

It blamed this unusually high death rate on a lack of training, a lack of after hours emergency paediatric cover for neonatal resuscitation and care, staff who were “inadequately skilled” in foetal surveillance, a lack of “high quality staff education” and an issue with the clinical governance framework.

Ms Hennessy said the investigation would be transparent because the families deserved to know the truth about the “shocking failure”.

“In 2013 and 2014 there was a higher than expected number of stillbirths and newborn deaths at Djerriwarrh Health Service”, she said.

Ms Hennessy said support will be offered to the families of the infants although it “will never be enough” to ease their pain after losing a baby.

“Nothing can change the past, but without this information there is no way to stop this tragedy from happening to others”, Ms Hennessy said.

A report detailing the investigation showed that there was a “series of failures and a number of deficiencies” that led to the deaths.

Director of obstetrics and gynaecology, Surinder Parhar, retired from the Djerriwarrh Health Service in July this year. It is understood Dr Parhar has left the country.

The Victorian Health Department was not informed of the investigation.

An investigation is expected to also ask tough questions of the wider Bacchus Marsh and Melton Regional Hospital and why the deaths were able to occur without anybody raising an alarm with authorities.

Administrators have been placed at the hospital for the time being.

The Department of Health would not comment on the scandal last night.