Damaturu — Two of the triplets who were delivered in Kalallawa village of Tarmuwa Local Government Area of Yobe State earlier in the week died at the Maryam Abacha Maternity Hospital in Damaturu yesterday due to what experts described as lack of care, infection and hunger.

The triplets who were in the village for three days were later brought to Damaturu for medical attention but stayed for an additional three days without being attended to.

Our correspondent reports that the hospital has no incubator, pediatric nurses or equipment necessary for the upkeep of the kids, a development which aggravated the troubles of the babies and their 25-year-old mother who is still in comma. Professor Ambe Joseph, a consultant pediatrician at the University of Maiduguri who was at the hospital yesterday said the two boys died due to infection, cold and hunger.

"They were supposed to be in an incubator. They were also supposed to be fed every two hours for them to be in stable condition," Professor Ambe said.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Idi Barde said they only read the story of the triplets on the pages of newspapers. "We only held of the problem today (Thursday) and that is why we are here because we really care...unfortunately two of them have died. We will take care of the remaining one," he said.

The mother of the triplets and the remaining baby girl have been transferred to the Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital while the Ministry of Religious Affairs has donated N25,000 to procure of blood for the mother.

"We cannot take them to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital now because the mother is not in stable condition," Professor Ambe said.