MARGAO
Hospicio South Goa District Hospital is back in the news. This time due to allegations that a newborn baby boy was mistakenly swapped following a caesarean delivery.
Medical Superintendent Dr Rajendra Borkar immediately ordered a probe to be conducted by a consultant, heading the gynaecology department, to ascertain the veracity of the claim made by the woman and her husband.
Dr Borkar, however, said preliminary inquiry has revealed that the information relating to the delivery in question has shown that the woman had delivered a baby girl. The family, on the other hand, has claimed that a sister on duty had informed that the woman had delivered a baby boy.
“I have ordered a detailed probe to go into the claim made by the woman and her relatives that while she delivered a baby boy, there was an exchange. Let the consultant complete the probe, and we will come to know the facts”, he said.
“On April 8, the district hospital had conducted around eight caesarean operations, of which six women gave birth to baby girls, including the woman, who has claimed exchange of babies. We have ordered the inquiry and things will be clear after the completion of the probe”, he said.
Sources said the woman from Quepem was admitted to the district hospital, Margao on April 7 at around 11 am. After her examination, she was admitted in the maternity ward, with the doctors informing her husband that a caesarean operation will be performed the next
day.
The husband pointed out she was taken in the Operation Theatre on April 8 at 10 am. “At that time we (myself and my mother in law) were waiting outside the operation theatre. At around 11:45 am, we were informed by the sister on duty that my wife had delivered a “baby boy” and took the new born inside. At the relevant time she was carrying the new born in a tray”, he said.
He added: “At around 12:45 pm, my wife was taken out of the operation theatre and moved to the maternity ward, while the new born baby was handed over to my mother in-law after cleaning and wrapped in white cotton cloth”.
He, however, pointed out that when his wife learnt that the baby had pooped, she opened the wrapped cloth, only to find to her shock and surprise that it wasn’t a baby boy, but a baby girl. “During our inquiry, the sister on duty informed me that the child handed over to me is my own child and there is no mistake from their side and denied that exchange of child has taken place.
As the husband strongly felt that his child has been exchanged he has made a fervent plea to conduct required tests such as DNA, blood cross match or any other test to determine whether the child is theirs.
