TIANJIN, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Five staff at a north China hospital have been dismissed from their posts after the deaths of five newborn children who contracted an infection there, authorities said Monday.

    Wang Xin, president of Jixian County Maternal and Child Care Service Center in northern Tianjin Municipality, and Wang Lianjiang, the center's vice president, were removed from their posts, the Jixian County government said.

    Wang Xin was also dismissed from his post as the director of the Jixian County Health Bureau.

    Three other staff in charge of newborn care service at the center were also dismissed from their posts.

    The county government has decided to compensate each family of the dead newborn children with 180,000 yuan (26,354 U.S.dollars).

    Six newborn children at the center developed respiratory problems from March 18 onwards. Five of them had died as of 2 p.m.March 22 after they were transferred to the Beijing Children's Hospital for better medical care.

    The remaining baby is still under treatment and in a stable condition.

    An initial investigation showed the deaths were caused by hospital-acquired infection of enterobacter cloacae, a clinically significant Gram-negative bacterium.

    The center has been ordered to stop admitting new pregnant women or newborn patients.