Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday urged the Rajasthan government to act with sensitivity after 10 infants died in a hospital in Kota district in a week. At least 77 children have reportedly died in the hospital this month.

He visited the government-run Jay Kay Lon Hospital and directed officials to make adequate arrangement to ensure such incidents do not occur in future.

“The untimely death of 77 infants in 24 days in the largest hospital in Kota-Bundi parliamentary constituency is a matter of serious concern,” he tweeted. “The state government should act with sensitivity so that such incidents do not occur in future.” Birla was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kota-Bundi.

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“The untimely death of any infant due to lack of medical equipment and resources is worrying,” Birla added. “According to the advice of doctors, the availability of necessary life-saving equipment and resources will be ensured in the next 15 days by public support.”

Meanwhile, the hospital administration has appointed a three-member committee, headed by Paediatrics Department’s chief Amrit Lal Bairwa to investigate the deaths, The Hindu reported.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot told reporters that he would wait for the investigation report before taking action.

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Bharatiya Janata Party Rajasthan President Satish Poonia had on Saturday accused the government of being insensitive after it failed to send ministers to the hospital to take stock of the situation. “Gehlot’s statement that ‘deaths tend to take place’ in hospital is really sorrowful and disappointing,” he had told reporters. “These deaths were not supposed to have occurred.”

The hospital maintained that there was nothing unusual about the deaths. “Our investigation says that 10 deaths were normal and children did not die because of any negligence,” JK Lon Hospital Superintendent HL Meena had said on Friday.