Six more babies died of fever, cough and breathing distress during the past 24 hours at Dr BC Roy Post Graduate Institute of Paediatric Science, popularly known as BC Roy Children Hospital leading to an alarming rise in number of crib deaths at government hospitals in the state.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who heads the health department on Thursday had claimed: “It’s a seasonal surge and nothing to be panicked about.”

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On Friday morning, two toddlers, a six-month-old from Kamalgazi area and the other of 10-month-old from Moyna in Barasat, died at the children’s hospital. The latter was admitted to the hospital about eight days ago showing symptoms of cough and shortness in breathing.

Earlier to the two cases, another 13-month-old baby from Machlandapur area in South 24-Parganas, died at the same hospital.

The fourth case occurred on Friday midnight when an 11-month-old baby from Sasaon in North 24-Parganas died. The victim, who was tested positive for adenovirus positive, was brought to the hospital on Sunday. Two other babies of Joynagar and Narayanpur in South 24-Parganas and North 24-Parganas districts respectively died at the hospital on Thursday evening.

Thirteen deaths have been recorded so far at the children’s hospital during the past three days since Wednesday, according to unofficial sources.

The sources also said that the number of baby deaths mostly caused by either adenovirus or pneumonia symptoms is nearing about 60 in the state during the past two months since January.

“Most of the deceased had co-morbidities and there is no need to panic, though any death is unfortunate and shocking. We have adequate infrastructure including 5,000 beds and human resource strength like 600 doctors in the government healthcare system to provide treatment to ailing babies,” the chief minister had told reporters at the state secretariat, Nabanna on Thursday.

Considering the surge in the number of adenovirus cases, the health department has set up a paediatric unit at the Infectious Disease (ID) Hospital at Beliaghata.

Intensive Care Units (ICUs) for babies in non-government hospitals are also flooded with patients suffering from cough, cold, fever and respiratory trouble.

For instance, all 14 beds in the ICU of the Institute of Child Health (ICH), one of the premier hospitals for child care in the state, are occupied with adenovirus and pneumonia-like cases.

There has been a huge rush of such patients seeking admissions to the ICH since mid-January, said Dr Prabhas Prasun Giri, associate professor of the hospital.