At the government-run LNJP Hospital in Delhi, where a newborn infant was purportedly "ruled dead" shortly after delivery and then discovered alive, authorities stated on Tuesday that the baby's condition remains serious and that he or she remains on a ventilator. The family was making funeral preparations when they discovered the newborn, who had been delivered at 23 weeks of pregnancy and weighed just 490 grammes.
"The baby continues to be critical and on ventilator support. She is being monitored," hospital's senior doctor said. Doctors said there is only a slim chance of the baby surviving. In medical terms, such pregnancies are considered viable.
A three-person team has been formed by the hospital to investigate the event, and their report is due on Wednesday, the doctor added. According to the attending physician, the panel has interviewed physicians who were on call that day to piece together what happened.
Family members of the baby said they would file a police complaint. "The baby is not on ventilator. Instead she is just admitted to the nursery. We will file a police complaint today and want the erring doctors to be punished.”
"We want an FIR to be registered in the matter and also want that the doctors who declared my niece dead be suspended," Md Salman, the baby's uncle, told PTI over phone.
The 35-year-old mother of the baby has another three-year-old daughter. According to the family, the baby's father makes simple tools.
.
Also, READ: World Book Fair 2023 in Delhi: Know date, time, venue and more
"The baby was handed over to us in a box and we took her to our home in New Mustafabad. We had started making preparations for her burial and ordered to prepare a grave for her. Around 7.30 pm, when we opened the box, we saw the baby moving her legs and arms. We immediately rushed her back to hospital," an aggrieved Salman had said on Monday.
The hospital's official stance is that this kind of birth should be treated as an abortion, therefore when the baby showed signs of life, she was immediately placed on life support. Throughout the duration of the coronavirus epidemic, the government relied heavily on the 2,000-bed LNJP Hospital.
(With inputs from PTI)
