Karnataka: Hospital in Shivamogga gives dead baby to wrong mother

SHIVAMOGGA: In a heartbreaking mix-up, the

Shivamogga

district hospital handed over the

dead baby

of one woman to another, and the newborn was buried before the mistake was discovered. The hospital is conducting an

inquiry

.


Two babies born at

McGann Hospital

on November 2 were admitted to

ICU

since they were underweight. While Suma Gopal from Sagar gave birth to a girl, Suma Anjanappa from Honnali in Davanagere had a boy. On Thursday night, the boy died but the hospital staff informed Suma Gopal’s family.

Erring staff will face action, says

Shivamogga hospital

Suma Gopal did not look at the face of the baby, who was wrapped in a cloth and handed over to her. The boy was buried in Sagar town early Friday.

On Saturday, the

baby girl

in ICU showed signs of improvement and the staff called up Suma Anjanappa’s attendants. The clueless family members said the baby was not theirs. In a state of panic, hospital staff rang up Suma Gopal’s husband and informed him that their child was alive and requested that the baby’s body handed over to them be brought back in an ambulance.

Anjanappa’s family rushed to

police

when told that their baby boy had died and been buried by mistake. No complaint has been filed. “Due to the hospital staff ’s carelessness, we couldn’t even see the baby’s face for the last time. We cannot afford to legally fight against the hospital,” said Thimmappa, father of Suma Anjanappa.

“A departmental inquiry has been initiated. Erring staff will be punished,” said Dr S Shridhar, medical superintendent of McGann Hospital.



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