An eight-day-old baby girl lies abandoned in a Rajasthan hospital as two couples fight over their claims for a boy who was born on the same night.
None of the couples is ready to accept the girl who was mistakenly exchanged with the boy by negligent hospital staff on March 25.
The girl is currently under the supervision of the nursery unit of the Ummed hospital. She is even deprived of breastfeeding which is important for her healthy development.
The hospital administration is not ready to allow one of the mothers to breastfeed without taking an undertaking from them that the girl belongs to them and they would take responsibility.
“We have sent samples to Delhi for a DNA test to identify biological parents of the girl. After the report, it will be clear who the parents of the girl are,” Dr. Narendra Changani, Superintendent of the hospital, said today.
After delivery, the hospital staff gave the boy to Poonam Kanwar wife of Chain Singh but after around two hours, they said that the boy was mistakenly handed over to her and took him back. The staffers then gave her the girl saying she was born to her.
The boy was handed over the Reshmi Devi wife of Sagar Ram after which Chain Singh and his family members created a ruckus and claimed that the boy belongs to them and rejected the girl.
Another official said that soon after the issue was raised, a committee looked into the matter and prima-facie found that the boy belongs to Reshmi and the girl belongs to Poonam Kanwar.
Matching of blood samples also made it clear that the girl belonged to Poonam. However, they were not satisfied so the hospital administration decided to go in for a DNA test.
Meanwhile, Chain Singh filed a complaint with Khanda Phalsa police station against the hospital administration seeking inquiry into the matter on March 26.
“We recorded the statements of the couple and the hospital staffers. It was a mistake of the staff and to make it clear that who are the parents of the girl, a DNA test is being conducted. The report is expected to come to the hospital in 45 days,” a sub-inspector who is investigating the case, said.
A relative of Reshmi Devi, Doonger Ram, said that they have been asked by the hospital administration to not leave the hospital for two months.
“We have been asked to not to leave the hospital till the DNA report arrives in a period of 40-50 days. We are ready to accept the report but this is not justified that we are restricted to stay in the hospital,” he said.
Husband of Poonam Kanwar, Chain Singh, who is a private school teacher in Barmer, said “I apprised the superintendent yesterday that my wife wants to breastfeed the girl on humanitarian ground because it was necessary for the newborn but he said that I will have to give a written undertaking that I am ready to accept the girl which is not possible before the DNA report.”
It is the right of the girl to have a proper care but the hospital administration itself is neglecting this by now allowing my wife for breastfeeding, he said.
Jodhpur District Collector Siddharth Mahajan also said that the DNA report was awaited to solve the issue.
“Poonam Kanwar and Chain Singh are taking two stands. On the one hand, they are not ready to accept the girl, and on the other hand they say that they want to take care of the girl for breastfeeding. We are looking into the matter to ensure that the health of the girl is not affected in this dispute,” he said.
