(Image source from: St. Mary’s Medical Center under pressure after the death of 9th baby})

With the death of few weeks old baby at St. Mary’s Medical Center, Florida on Tuesday, the center has come under pressure to stop heart surgery procedures.

The program had opened at the end of 2011 and as per an investigation from 2011 to 2013, the procedure had 12.5% mortality rate for open heart surgeries.

"Why won't they stop?" said devastated Nneka Campbell whose baby daughter, Amelia died after heart surgery at the hospital.

While St. Mary’s CEO, David Carbone has written a letter asking for support for the program and its heart surgeon, Dr Michael Black after the matter was aired on Television.

"The patients we serve are afflicted with severe life-threatening conditions, and it is impossible to eliminate the risk of mortality," he wrote.

"We are deeply saddened when a lack of institutional transparency may have contributed to potentially unnecessary risk and serious harm," said Amy Basken, a spokeswoman for the Pediatric Congenital Heart Association.

- Smrutirekha