An Ewha Womans University Hospital doctor has been released on bail after being arrested last week on charges of negligent homicide over the deaths of four newborns by bacterial infection late last year, officials said Saturday.

Cho Soo-jin, a pediatric professor in charge of the hospital's intensive care unit for newborns, was arrested on April 4, along with another doctor and a nurse, on charges of overlooking duties and breaching hygiene rules, causing the infants to get infected with a bacteria and die late last year.

 

Cho has since asked the Southern District Court to reassess the legality of her arrest, and the court decided Friday to release her on a 100 million won ($93,305) bail, court officials said.

On Dec. 16, the four infants died in a less than a two-hour period while being treated in the intensive care unit of the hospital in western Seoul. Forensic results later confirmed that their deaths were all caused by the same type of bacteria.

The forensic findings have suggested the injections of nutritional supplements for the babies were either originally contaminated or became contaminated while being opened and connected to intravenous tubes. (Yonhap)