MELBOURNE, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- An Australian hospital is under investigation after it was found that 10 stillborn and newborn deaths had occurred in its maternity wards since 2013.
The Bacchus Marsh and Melton Regional Hospital in Melbourne's outer west experienced the disproportionately high number of stillborn or newborn deaths between 2013 and 2014.
Victorian state health minister Jill Hennessy told a press conference in Melbourne on Friday that a government investigation found that seven out of the 10 deaths may have been avoidable.
Hennessy said the event was "a series of catastrophic failures" that lead to the deaths but acknowledged the pain and anguish of the families would resurface following the investigation.
The government has sacked the board as a result of the events at the hospital, with the government overseeing a new board reappointed.
A report detailing the investigation showed that there was a "series of failures and a number of deficiencies" that led to the deaths.
A lack of quality training was identified as a significant issue in the deaths with staff now receiving additional training from the Royal Women's Hospital.
The hospital has met with all families involved, with open disclosure procedures underway to assist the families.
The families will also continue to receive all the support and assistance they require from the health department.
The state average of stillborn or newborn deaths is seven out of every 1,000 births, while the hospital in question should average around four out of every 1,000 births, due to their low risk classification, according to Hennessy.
The maternity department received funds in 2014 to improve their department, with the western suburbs one of the fastest growing areas in the state.
The maternity unit has overseen a doubling of its birthrate in less than 10 years with the expansion helping to cater to around 1, 400 births a year.
