Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh): In a heart-wrenching incident, two newborn babies were swapped at Khandwa District Hospital while they were being handed over to their families. One of these newborns was dead. The police ordered a DNA test of the deceased baby to rectify the mistake. As per Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) ward in-charge and paediatrician Dr Krishna Vaskel, the body of a newborn baby belonging to a family from Salai village was swapped with a baby of a family in Shastri Nagar. The mistake was attributed to similar profiles of the infants' parents.
The incident came to light when the Shastri Nagar family was handed the body of a child they believed to be healthy. They created a ruckus alleging the death of a newborn due to negligence in treatment at this hospital. As per hospital authorities, both infants were admitted to SNCU on February 14. The infants shared similar identical details, including names and dates of birth, complicating the identification process.
As soon as they realised the lapse, SNCU staff telephoned the concerned families, and the mistake was rectified. The error was corrected and the surviving child was returned to the biological mother. In light of this gross negligence, police have assured both families of a thorough investigation into the incident, including a DNA test of the dead child. The lapses committed by the staff would also be probed. Appropriate action would also be proposed, the police said.
