Balasore: A newborn baby was allegedly stolen from the maternity ward of a government hospital in Odisha’s Balasore district on Saturday.
According to sources, Anita Dandapata of Kulhachada village under Baliapal block of the district was admitted to the district headquarters hospital (DHH) in the town. She delivered a baby boy on Saturday.
After the normal delivery of the baby, both Anita and her newborn were brought to the maternity ward of the hospital. While they were resting on a bed there, an ASHA worker along with an unidentified woman came to the ward.
The ASHA worker told Anita that they would take the baby for vaccination. Anita handed over the baby to the woman. As they did not return for a long time, Anita informed her family members who started searching for the baby.
But they failed to trace either the baby or the ASHA worker and filed a complaint at the Balasore Town police station alleging that their newborn was stolen from the DHH.
The police contacted the hospital authorities and started investigation on the basis of the complaint. On checking the footage from the CCTV camera installed in the hospital, they identified the ASHA worker and the woman. They have assured Anita of getting the baby back from them.
“We have traced the ASHA worker and the woman who went to the maternity ward from the CCTV footage. We will find the baby soon and return him to the patient,” said Mrutyunjay Mishra, Public Health Officer of Balasore.
