High-ranking health officials have issued a warning, saying there could be more babies possibly infected by what doctors call the contaminated drip. This drip has been linked to one infant’s death, along with the illness of 14 more children. Paul Cosford who is the health protection director for Public Health in England announced that the feed in liquid form was sent to 22 hospitals and urgent care clinics.
Actions That Have Been Done
Director Cosford talked about the actions that their office is doing. According to him, they have already alerted each urgent care clinic and hospital all over England to make sure that all new cases could be reported quickly. According to Deborah Turbitt, a colleague of Cosford, believes that so far, all cases and affected babies have been reported to them so far. However, the agency’s fear is the possibility of having one or two affected children who have been unreported.
The Nutrition Drip: How It all Started
Last June 4, an alert from the health chiefs for public health. This was issued after news spread that a lot of newborns were given a nutrition drip that was manufactured by ITH Pharma Ltd., a company based in London. There was a contamination incident that happened last May 29 in one of the manufacturing plants of the company. Although it is believed to be accidental, it is still being investigated by medical regulators. Even if this does not seem to be a work of sabotage, the effects could still require urgent care.
What Has Been Found Out
When Director Crosford spoke to BBC Radio, he mentioned two reasons why he believed the accident was the cause of the infections. The first reason was because the regulator and the manufacturer identified a possible point, found in the process of manufacturing where the entrance of the infection may have occurred. The second is that all the infection cases that have been so far reported had dates of infection onset that fit perfectly, pointing them out as the recipient of the contaminated feed. All other feeds that could possibly be contaminated have already been recalled and that the use of these feeds was very unlikely, according to the regulators. This news caused worry, especially among mothers, as they were asking, “Where is an urgent care near me?” The issue has been controlled by the health department of the country.
