Talking to The Hindu , Safdarjung Hospital Medical Superintendent A.K. Rai dismissed the family’s claims of negligence and insisted that there was no baby to begin with, but an aborted foetus.
‘Foetus handed over’
Denying any negligence on the hospital’s part, Dr. Rai said the pregnancy had been terminated, after which the aborted “20-week-old foetus” was handed over to the family.
‘Family was informed’
“It was clearly conveyed to the family that the child was aborted,” said Dr. Rai.
He added that the mother was bleeding profusely, besides other complications.
It is not clear whether the family had requested an abortion or not.
The grandparents of the child, however, maintained that they were told that it was a premature delivery.
‘Wrapping helped’
Asked the manner in which the baby, presumed to be dead, was wrapped, Dr. Rai said the hospital followed standard procedure.
Interestingly, he offered an explanation which suggested that, if anything, that allowed the child to breathe again.
‘Bleak chances’
“The warmth the foetus received because of being wrapped might have caused the heart to beat again and it started kicking again,” said Dr. Rai.
The “foetus”, he said, weighed 410 grams. The chances of survival of babies weighing less than 500 grams are bleak, Dr. Rai added.
