Newborn's body found in bio-waste truck: Hospital suspends 2 staffers

The management of Mata Chanan Devi hospital today suspended two staffers on charges of negligence after the body of a newborn baby there was found dumped inside a bio-waste truck, prompting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to order an inquiry into the matter.

The internal inquiry committee set up by the hospital to look into the case found negligence on the part of a security guard and a member of the housekeeping staff to be the reason behind the lapse yesterday. The committee has given a copy of the report to the Delhi Health Ministry.

Health Minister Satyendra Jain had yesterday issued a notice to the hospital seeking an explanation in the matter within 24 hours.

Medical Superintendent Nidhi Bhasin in her report today said that prima facie inquiry revealed negligence on the part of security guard Jitendra Kumar and housekeeping staff Suman Sharma due to which the body of the baby girl ended up in the trash bin and, from there, in the bio-waste truck.

Meanwhile, Delhi police seized the record book at the mortuary and also collected the statements of the staff members working there.

"We are going through the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the hospital authorities and the civic agency and analysing the role of staff members. Action will be initiated after the investigation establishes the role of the guilty persons," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), Ranvir Singh.

Yesterday, after the incident came to light, the health minister claimed that the matter was reported at a private hospital and, "hence the state government cannot directly intervene in (it)".

Later, the chief minister himself ordered an inquiry into the matter while the health minister termed the case "very unfortunate and inhuman" and promised stern action against those responsible for it.

A case under the Section 297 of IPC has been lodged at Janakpuri police station in connection with the lapse.

The body of the newborn baby was found inside a bio-waste truck at Mata Chanan Devi hospital yesterday. The parents of the deceased baby have alleged that the lapse had occurred despite hospital authorities having taken money from them to keep the body in the mortuary.

The infant was born on Sunday morning at Khanna Nursing home. Her parents had taken her to Mata Chanan Devi hospital in the evening when her condition deteriorated.
The infant had died of complications on Monday at 2 A.M.

The body was to be kept at the hospital mortuary but was instead later discovered in the bio-waste truck.