As per details, the deaths were reported at special newborn care unit in Nashik civil hospital during a month of August.
Local authorities, however, deny the deaths were due to lack of equipment or medical negligence, saying most deaths occurred as the infants were brought in a "critical condition at last stage", referred by private hospitals.
"In the month of August we have had 55 deaths and the reason is that we have no ventilators," a local news agency Asian News International (ANI) quoted G M Hole as having said.
Earlier in August, the local government in northern state of Uttar Pradesh had appointed a probe panel to look into the deaths of over 60 children at a medical college hospital, which revealed that the deaths were caused by the lack of oxygen in hospital.
Since April, 187 infants have died in the Unit with 55 deaths reported last month, according to Indian media.Days after the Gorakhpur incident, the Karnataka health department has said 90 infant deaths were reported from a district hospital in Kolar since January, of 1,053 babies admitted.
A report in this regard was submitted by the director, health and family welfare services, to the principal secretary on Wednesday after three newborns died at the SNR district hospital on Monday (August 21), triggering panic among the parents of the infants admitted there.
Attributing the deaths to “congenital anomalies and low birth weight”, the report said prima facie, there was no negligence on the part of the hospital.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah had sought a detailed report from the health department, following the death of the newborns.
The hospital had recorded 82 infant deaths in 2016.
