Post News Network
Berhampur, March 9: Three days after the alleged baby swapping case at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital here came to fore, superintendent of police Sarthak Sarangi Monday accepted the possibility of baby swapping at the hospital.
“There is mismatch in the blood samples of the babies in the data provided by obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) department and special newborn care unit (SNCU) of the hospital. Hence, possibility of baby swapping cannot be ruled out,” Sarangi said.
“There are also mismatch in other information provided by the two departments,” he added.
Meanwhile, Shibaram Basantia and his wife Sunita Basantia of Sunathar village under Purushottampur police station have taken the charge of the baby girl given to them by the hospital, but they are awaiting justice.
“We want our biological child – boy or girl,” Shibaram said demanding DNA test to find out the truth.
Sarangi said that a list of babies born in the hospital between February 20 and March 6 and the newborns admitted in SNCU within the time period has been prepared. Besides, several staff of the hospital have also been interrogated.
Hospital superintendent Dr Ashok Kumar Behera said a review meeting was conducted with head of departments of the hospital to find the reason behind the mistake.
Apart from professors of the O&G department, four senior professors of other departments have been brought under the purview of investigation, Behera said.
He added that blood samples of the baby girl and that of Shibaram and Sunita have been collected. If required, DNA test would be conducted.
Earlier, Shibaram had claimed that Sunita had delivered a baby boy in the hospital at 10 pm February 20. As the child was underweight, he was admitted to SNCU. Condition of the child improved after treatment.
However, the baby’s bed was changed Friday night. When the family members visited the hospital Saturday morning, they were shocked to find a newborn girl on the bed.
When they asked the hospital staff about his son, they insisted that Sunita had given birth to a baby girl. Later, his relatives staged a demonstration outside the office of hospital superintendent demanding the real child.
