Child swapping: High drama at Jalandhar civil hospital

The victim Baljeet Kaur,of Muthada Khurd village was baffled after her relative informed that she has given birth to a girl child.

Another incident of alleged newborn swapping by the civil hospital staff has came to light, when a couple created outrage in the delivery ward, early morning,here on Friday.

Baljeet Kaur with her newborn in Jalandhar.(HT Photo)

The victim Baljeet Kaur,of Muthada Khurd village was baffled after her relative informed that she has given birth to a girl child.

“During delivery, I was informed that I gave birth to a baby boy. My child’s footprints were also taken on the file but later, my relatives told that I have given birth to a girl,” said Kaur in her complaint to deputy commissioner (DC) Varinder Kumar Sharma, also forwarded to the medical superintendent KS Bains.

“After we raised the issue, the staff found my son after two hours,”Kaur added. Kaur, a housewife, is a mother of two.Her husband Dharminder Lal is a daily wage labourer.

“During delivery, I was informed that I gave birth to a baby boy. My child’s footprints were also taken on the file but later, my relatives told that I have given birth to a girl.”

Kaur has requested the administration to take stern action against the on-duty staff for their lackadaisical attitude and take preventive measure to stop the practice.The incident also brought into light the biases that the society still carries for the girl child.

The civil hospital staff said, the couple whose girl child was exchanged with boy, later disagreed to take the girl child back, claiming the mother had given birth to a boy.

It was after the argument between both the parties that the father Dharminder Lal called Shiv Sena workers to intervene.The matter got solved after the footprints of the newborn were checked.

The fourth-grade lady staff involved in the delivery has been removed from the gynaecology ward.Meanwhile, medical superintendent KS Bawa has set up a two-member committee comprising senior medical officer gynae Dr Sangeeta Kapoor and trauma ward head Dr Sanjeev Singh.