Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A newborn girl was declared dead at Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal, but the baby was later seen showing signs of breathing nearly four hours later on Thursday.
The baby’s father, Parvez, said the hospital had issued a death certificate and informed the family that the baby girl had died.
However, when he later went to the NICU to collect the body, he noticed movement in the baby.
He also recorded a video in which the baby’s stomach appeared to be moving.
Why did the doctors declare her dead?
According to doctors, the baby was extremely premature and weighed only about 450 grams at birth. The pregnant woman had first been taken to a nearby health centre and was later referred to the district hospital in Raisen district before being shifted to Hamidia Hospital.
Doctors said the woman was around five to six months pregnant and her condition was serious when she arrived at the hospital. She was immediately admitted to the labour room. After delivery, doctors said the baby showed no response and no heartbeat was detected during examination with a stethoscope.
Following hospital protocol, the newborn was sent to the NICU. Later, the family was informed that the baby had been born dead. Around midnight, the family was given a death certificate mentioning the time of death as about 8:30 pm.
However, Parvez claimed that when he visited the NICU later that night, he noticed the baby showing signs of breathing. He questioned the doctors and recorded a video.
The family also alleged that when they asked for an explanation, they did not receive clear answers and were stopped from recording the video. They further claimed there was pushing and arguments with hospital staff.
Senior doctors at the hospital have asked the duty doctors to explain the situation. Doctors said the case was an “abortus” case, meaning the fetus was delivered before 20 weeks or weighed less than 500 grams, which gives very little chance of survival.
Shabana Sultan said the newborn had extremely low weight and was in a very critical medical condition.
She added that the family’s allegations are being investigated and action will be taken if any negligence is found.
