Patnagarh: In a shocking incident, a newborn Wednesday was kidnapped from Patnagarh sub-divisional hospital in Bolangir district. After receiving a complaint, Patnagarh police reached the spot and started an investigation.
According to sources, Rudra Tandi (35) of Ghasien village under Patnagarh block and his wife Jayanti Tandi (30) were staying at Rengali village near Chudapali for past many days. On the evening of March 3, Jayanti gave birth to a baby in Patnagarh sub-divisional hospital. She was staying in the hospital. On Wednesday forenoon, she was taking rest on her bed No 67 in the paediatric ward, along with her baby. Her husband and mother-in-law went out of the hospital for some work. At that time, an unknown woman came and sat beside her and started gossiping about her health status.
Later on, she wanted to take the baby on her lap and gave Rs. 100 as part of the ritual for seeing the newborn. Gradually, she built intimacy with Jayanti and started playing with the baby. Taking advantage of the situation and under the plea of caressing the baby, she went out of the hospital premises and fled.
According to an eyewitness, the suspected woman fled on a motor cycle along with her accomplice. Such incidents on the hospital premises have stoked the wrath of people.
Moreover, thefts of bikes, mobile phones, personal articles of patients take place everyday inside Patnagarh hospital premises. Many a time, complaints have been lodged by the patients and their attendants before the hospital authorities.
They have demanded immediate repair of CCTV cameras existing on the premises. However, inertia of the hospital administration has compelled the patients and their attendants to face such situations time and again, patients said. Police said, “Had CCTV cameras been in a running condition, it would have been easier to identify the culprit”.
Reacting to this, Medical Superintendent Dr Dillip Biswal said, “We had attempted to repair the cameras but it was not possible. Moreover, the kidnap of the newborn was caused due to the negligence of family members and responsibility cannot be fixed on the hospital employees.”
PNN