Police started an investigation into the theft of a newborn at Shaheed Nirmal Mahto Medical College and Hospital (SNMMCH) in Dhanbad on Sunday, which triggered panic among patients and raised serious questions over hospital security, officials said.
Officer-in-charge of Saraidhela police station, Manjit Kumar, confirmed that a case of a missing newborn has been reported. “The matter is being investigated. CCTV footage is being examined, and the entire sequence will be clear soon,” he said.
Officials said police teams have begun scanning CCTV footage and questioning hospital staff as part of the investigation, as security lapses at the state-run hospital have come under sharp scrutiny.
According to hospital authorities, the incident occurred on Saturday night in the gynaecology ward. Senior manager of SNMMCH, Dr Suman Kumar, said, “We came to know this morning as the family members did not inform us about the incident earlier.”
Dr Kumar further said that CCTV footage is being examined. “We are investigating the issue, as CCTV footage shows a woman taking away the baby last night,” he said. “There is an acute shortage of security staff. Only 20 home guard personnel are posted, whereas we need at least 120 personnel to ensure proper security,” he stated.
The baby’s father, Shaligram Marandi, a resident of Bhelwe village under the Maniyadih police station area in Tundi, stated that a woman posing as a nurse approached them around 7.30 pm on Saturday. “She told us that our baby needed to undergo some medical tests. My mother accompanied her to a chamber. When they did not return for nearly an hour, we suspected foul play,” he said. Marandi alleged that when the family alerted hospital staff, a search was initiated, but they were requested not to inform senior officials as it was night.
{{/usCountry}}The baby’s father, Shaligram Marandi, a resident of Bhelwe village under the Maniyadih police station area in Tundi, stated that a woman posing as a nurse approached them around 7.30 pm on Saturday. “She told us that our baby needed to undergo some medical tests. My mother accompanied her to a chamber. When they did not return for nearly an hour, we suspected foul play,” he said. Marandi alleged that when the family alerted hospital staff, a search was initiated, but they were requested not to inform senior officials as it was night.
{{/usCountry}}Shaligram’s wife, Sarita Marandi, had been admitted to SNMMCH on December 24 and delivered a baby boy on December 25. The family claims the woman took the newborn towards the orthopaedic ward and later vanished using another exit.