Exhumed body points to baby swap in leading Odisha hospital

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Brahmapur/Hinjilikatu, Mar 14:

The exhumed body of a new-born baby found from a grave has exposed the utter callousness and carelessness of the authorities of the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Odisha’s Brahmapur city.

The exhumed body, retrieved from the grave in the presence of additional tehsildar, Hinjilikatu, Bipin Kumar Pradhan and Sub Inspector of Baidyanathpur police station SN Pati, was found to be that of a new-born baby boy though the tag on the boy’s hand indicated it to be a baby girl with its gender mentioned as ‘female’ and its mother as Priyadarshini.

“Autopsy on the exhumed body of the new-born baby boy was conducted at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday. Bone tissue, hair and tissues from the dead child’s body were collected for the purpose of DNA test”, said Dr Kirankant Patnaik, assistant professor of the FMT department at the MKCG Hospital.

Hospital authorities have taken the suspected case of baby swapping casually despite its sensitive nature.

It is baffling how and under what circumstances the corpse of a new-born baby boy was handed over to the Anil Biswasray and his wife Priyadarshini from Hinjilikatu by the hospital authorities telling them that it was the body of their dead daughter.

Neither the district administration nor the Swasthya Vikas Committee seem to be interested in unraveling the mystery shrouding the incident.

The matter came to light when Anil and his wife lodged a written complaint on Tuesday with the Baidyanathpur police station claiming that the baby girl, which was with Sunita Basantia, wife of Sibram Basantia, was their child.

Acting on the complaint, the body of the child was exhumed from the grave in the presence of the additional tehsildar and SI of Baidyanathpur police station.

After removal of the cloth wrapping from the body, it was found to be that of a boy who had a wrong tag on it certifying it to be that of a girl.

After the body was taken to the FMT department of the MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Sibaram Basantia was called to identify the body.

Sibaram admitted to his baby having been swapped and said Anil could take the baby girl if he wished. He, however, said he can’t be sure whether the dead baby boy was his.

He said he would fight till the truth was out and added that he was prepared for all tests including DNA and legal action.

Sibaram claimed that he had been under tremendous mental stress in the hospital for the last 20 days. He blamed the hospital authorities for his ordeal and demanded stringent action against all doctors and nurses.

Meanwhile, Anil and his wife on Wednesday went to the hospital to see the baby girl.