A shocking case of absolute negligence was reported at the capital’s Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital after a 23-week alive premature baby was termed dead by a doctor and boxed up for two hours.
The incident took place on Sunday around 2 pm when the doctors declared a six-month-old premature aborted girl fetus dead.
The child was wrapped in a yellow cardboard box and handed over to the family members. However, on arriving at their residence the family members noticed that the baby was still breathing and also moving. They immediately rushed back to the hospital.
The family and the authorities have given different versions of the event. While the family claims the hospital refused to re-admit the baby, the hospital authorities say they were the one to identify that the baby was still alive after the fetus was unboxed.
The family alleges that initially, the hospital refused to admit the baby. The family protested. Following a ruckus, police had to intervene. The matter was resolved between the family and the hospital authorities, with the baby being readmitted.
The weight of the fetus at the time of abortion was 490 grams. The baby had to be aborted because it had stopped moving inside the mother’s womb.
The hospital administration told The New Indian that the ‘baby girl is now at pediatrics ICU under ventilator support in ICU’. As of now, she is doing fine, said authorities.
Hospital medical director Dr. Suresh Kumar told the media, “Initially the aborted pre-term fetus did not show any sign of life. Later after a family member brought the box to us the 23-week fetus, we admitted it. However, under what circumstances such an incident took place would be investigated and appropriate action would be taken after the investigation. A report has been sought within 24 hours.”
“There is a special team of doctors who are keeping a close watch on the baby and treating her”, the director states.