Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has issued notices to Chief Secretary, Secretaries of the Home and Health and Family Welfare departments, and Cuttack Collector in an alleged baby swap case at SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCB MCH) last month.
The court has also pulled up SCB MCH for ‘serious breach of trust’ and directed its superintendent to file a reply by April 2, the date fixed for next hearing on the matter. “The facts before this court reveal more than negligence. They reflect a serious breach of trust in an institution meant to provide care and protection to the most vulnerable…That a newborn could go missing under such circumstances and that the petitioner’s pleas for accountability have been met with silence is deeply troubling,” Justice S K Panigrahi observed.
On February 10, Chandrama Behera (22) of Puri town was admitted at the SCB MCH and she gave birth to a girl the following day. Her husband Ratana Behera (25), in the petition, alleged that the newborn was swapped with a dead baby while under observation in the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU). He sought an inquiry by the collector, Cuttack, into the alleged incident.
The petitioner also mentioned about how he repeated pleas to authorities went unanswered. He submitted an application with the superintendent of SCB MCH on February 13 and then approached the IIC of Mangalabag police station where an FIR was registered but no further action followed. Thereafter, he escalated the matter to the Cuttack DCP but in vain. Left with no recourse, he approached the collector and submitted a written complaint on February 25. “Despite this, the complaint remains pending without any action,” Justice Panigrahi noted.
