Kolkata: The family of a newborn has alleged that their child was either stolen or misplaced from Arambag Medical College. The baby, who was suffering from postpartum complications, was declared dead by hospital authorities. However, when the family requested the body, they were informed that it had already been handed over to another family.
Jasmina Begum, a resident of Tarakeswar in Hooghly, was admitted to the hospital on Sunday and gave birth to a baby boy the following day. The infant, who was in critical condition, was moved to the SNU unit. On Wednesday, when the family attempted to see the child, they were told that the baby had died and the body was given to another family on Tuesday. That family, however, maintained that the deceased child was theirs, as their baby too had died on the same day.
In this context, the hospital authorities have admitted to their mistake. Arambag Medical College and Hospital Superintendent Dr Ramaprasad Roy said: “Only one baby was admitted to SNCU and that baby died. The infant weighed around 1.5 kg. I informed the police and a report was filed.”
Amid the confusion, the family that had already cremated the body later received information from the hospital that their child was actually alive and could be taken home. Both families have demanded a DNA test of the child.