siliguri: A newborn baby went missing from the maternity ward of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) on Thursday afternoon.
Sanjay Mallick, the Superintendent of the hospital, has assured to form an inquiry committee to investigate the incident.
“We will surely form an inquiry team that will investigate the matter. Police have been informed and a search is on for the newborn,” said Mallick.
According to the hospital sources, late on Monday night, a woman named Ranjita Singha, aged 24, from Kharibari, gave birth to the boy child at Kharibari Rural Hospital. Thereafter, when her condition deteriorated, she was referred to the NBMCH. She got admitted on Tuesday morning.
Ranjita alleged that during lunchtime on Thursday, a woman who was in the maternity ward, assuring Ranjita of help when she was having her food. She then took the child from Ranjita and was carrying the baby.
However, within seconds the woman disappeared with the child.
The hospital authorities were immediately informed.
Sanjay Mallick along with North Bengal Medical Outpost police reached the ward. The police started an investigation after examining the CCTV footage in the ward and interrogating everyone.
Meanwhile, Nityananda Singha, the father of the newborn child, raised allegations of lack of security at the hospital.
In this regard, Mallick said: “This hospital has many exit gates. Moreover, that was the visiting hour, many outsiders came to the hospital at that time. We will work on tightening the security. Now, two persons are allowed to enter the wards during visiting hours at a time. We will decrease the number to only one person at a time.”