Newborn Dies After ‘Swapping’ At Balangir Hosp

Balangir: Another allegation of baby swapping has come to the fore at Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital in Balalgir with a family lodging a complaint on Friday stating that their healthy newborn was exchanged and sent to Burla-based VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) hospital in place of another baby the previous evening.

The baby later died.

According to sources, Pabitra Khadia’s wife Pankajini of Brahmanipali village under Deogaon block in Balangir district delivered a baby boy on December 25. He was kept in the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the hospital.

Rabichandra Gartia and his wife Pankajini of Kukapada village had also admitted their baby boy to the SNCU. The hospital staff asked Rabichandra to shift his baby to Burla Hospital after his condition worsened.

The hospital nurses handed over a baby to Rabichandra. While admitting the baby at Burla hospital, he inspected the tag affixed with the newborn and found that the baby belonged to Pabitra and Pankajini.

He then informed Pankajini and Pabitra about the swapping. They rushed to the Burla hospital but found their newborn dead.

Pabitra alleged that due to the negligence and callous attitude of the hospital authorities his healthy baby was swapped and died untimely.

He also lodged a complaint with the Town police and demanded strict action against the hospital authorities.

“My wife was admitted to the hospital on December 25 and she delivered a baby the next morning. The baby was healthy and the doctor came for check up and they exchanged the newborn in the night without our knowledge,” Pabitra said.

Meanwhile, the hospital authorities have also admitted that they were at fault and said the  confusion arose since mothers shared the same first name.