Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jul 21:

After his government remaining in the firing line for the last few days over infant deaths due to malnutrition in Nagada in Odisha’s Jajpur district, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the first time briefed the media today on the issue.

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“The state government has formed a task force to go thoroughly into the entire issue and see that such incidents don’t recur,” Patnaik told reporters.

Meanwhile, senior officials of the state government have visited Tata Hospital at Kaliapani and have inquired about the health condition of infants from Nagada admitted there.

Director Agriculture P K Meherda and Principal Secretary and nodal officer of the state task force Manoj Ahuja visited the hospital and held discussions with the attending doctors about the health condition of 19 children from Nagada admitted there.

While 16 children from Nagada were undergoing treatment at the hospital for malnourishment, three more children were admitted yesterday bringing the total to 19.

The two officials after visiting the hospital have left for Nagada, reports said.