Family finds newborn moving while on their way to perform last rites for twins

New Delhi: In a case of alleged medical negligence, one of the newly born twins, who was declared dead by an upscale private hospital in Delhi, was later found to be alive when the parents were on their way to perform the last rites.

The incident is of Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh where a woman gave birth to pre-mature twins (a boy and a girl) on Thursday evening. While the girl was stillborn, the baby boy was declared dead later. The hospital wrapped the two bodies in two separate paper bags and handed over the same to the family in a polythene bag.

While the family was on its way to perform the last rites, they felt some movement and squirming coming from inside the bag. To their utter shock, one of the babies, which was declared dead, was found alive.

“We were near Madhuban Chowk when we felt some movement in the bag. Upon finding it alive, we took the baby to a hospital in Pitampura where he is being currently treated,” said the baby’s maternal grandfather, Praveen Malik.

“It is very unfortunate. I have directed the Delhi government to look into the matter and take necessary action,” Union health minister JP Nadda told reporters.

The Delhi government has ordered a probe into the incident and sought a preliminary report within three days. Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain has ordered an inquiry by the health department.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too said that strong action would be taken against the hospital, if found guilty.

The family of the twins said that the doctors in Max Hospital, before declaring the baby dead, had said that his condition was serious and that he needed to be admitted in the nursery for several weeks, which would cost them around Rs 50 lakh.

The baby was declared dead while the family was debating about admitting the baby at the huge cost.

Meanwhile, Delhi police said that it has received a complaint from the parents of the child and it will carry an inquiry and submit the findings to the Delhi Medical Council and the MCI.

The hospital, in a statement, has said that it is “shaken and concerned at this rare incident” and it too has initiated an enquiry.