‘No doctor negligence in newborn’s death’

A private hospital in Rawalpindi on Saturday said that the management has settled the issue of the death of a newborn baby with the parents after the latter had lodged a case against a gynecologist and the hospital management.

Al-Khidmat Razi Hospital Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Muhammad Usman Zafar said in a statement that the delivery was done normally but the child was born dead. He said that the parents were informed four months earlier about a skin condition in their baby in which the skin tears when it is even slightly touched.

The symptoms of the disease showed up when the parents took the infant to the home and they assumed his neck has been slit, he added. After which, they came to the hospital with their relatives and assaulted the staff.

“It was certain for several months that the child would not be able to survive at birth and parents were informed about the inherited disease four months ago,” said Dr Zafar.

On Friday, Rawalpindi police registered a case against a doctor over the death of a newborn child who died because of alleged negligence of the doctors and staff at a private hospital.

According to the police spokesperson, an initial report has been registered with Police Station Banni on the complaint of the child’s father in which he alleged that a female doctor at the hospital negligently truncated his child’s throat during delivery.

A newborn’s throat was slit because of the alleged negligence of a maternity doctor.

During the operation, a blade fell on the neck of the baby, which caused the neck to become detached from the body and the baby died immediately after being born.

The family members alleged they complained to the hospital management about the incident while the doctor fled from the hospital.

After the baby’s death, the relative protested in the hospital and vandalised the facility as the police arrived and started an investigation.

On Saturday, MS said that the gynecologist and the hospital administration showed the complete file of the patient to the police officials and the family, which made them aware of the facts, and the matter was settled.

The autopsy of the deceased is also being carried out at the Holy Family Hospital for the satisfaction of the family, he added.

The official said that the blood of the mother and child were incompatible and the infant’s head, lungs, and stomach were filled with water while the ultrasound had shown multiple symptoms beforehand.

Gynecologist Dr Naila said the woman’s four children had already been born in the same hospital by her hands and she was sure that the deceased would not survive at the time of birth.

Rawalpindi police spokesperson said that the infant was born dead according to the statements of the doctors.

However, the father of the baby alleged that his child’s neck was slit when he was born. He said that the legal action considering the father’s statement is underway.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2021.