Representative image showing a baby's foot.
Credit: Pixabay
Negligence of KIMS hospital staff led to confusion among the parents of a newborn baby, after the lactating mother was given another baby instead of her own on Wednesday.
According to sources, pregnant woman Muttavva Pujar of Surangi village in Laxmeshwar taluk of Gadag district was admitted at KIMS hospital, and she delivered a baby boy on September 3.
As the baby was premature and underweight, it was kept in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and the mother was shifted to the ICU. After two weeks, while discharging her on Wednesday, the KIMS Hospital staff gave a baby girl and said it was her baby.
The confused parents asked the staff, but did not find their behaviour forthcoming. When the parents and their relatives planned to stage a protest, KIMS Hospital Medical Superintendent Arunkumar C intervened and found the correct baby.
Dr Arunkumar said, soon after a baby is born they tie a band with a number on the baby’s hand, and another band with the same number is tied to the mother also.
Reason for confusion
In Muttavva Pujar’s case, the band went missing, which led to the confusion.
After checking all the details, they found the baby boy with another mother, and their baby girl mistakenly given to Muttavva. Both babies were born on the same day.
Muttavva's baby boy was with another woman named Beebijan, and they were feeding him. Beebijan's baby girl was given to Muttavva. After checking the band, and the footprint taken, soon after the baby's birth, they identified Muttavva's baby, and she also identified her baby, the medical superintendent added.
“We will take action against the staff, whose negligence led to this confusion. We will serve them a show-cause notice to them and cut their salary,” he said.