Newborn goes missing from JPMC

Family demands administration provide CCTV footage, staff list to assist investigation

KARACHI:

A newborn girl has gone missing from Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre (JPMC), leading to criticism on the hospital administration by the affected family.

The family alleges that negligence on the part of the hospital staff is to blame for the incident. However, the hospital administration has denied any connection with the suspects involved in abduction.

According to details, the newborn baby went missing last on Friday night from the gynaecology ward of the hospital. The family of the baby staged a protest within the hospital premises, expressing their concerns.

While the protesters carrying placards and banners, avoided chanting slogans to maintain a peaceful atmosphere during the protest.

The family told police that the baby was born with operation at 01:00 am but unfortunately, was taken away while her mother was asleep.

Initially, the doctors speculated that she might have been transferred to the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) for a checkup.

"However, when the mother began protesting, the doctors and staff claimed to be unaware of the baby's whereabouts", the family alleged.

They demanded that the hospital administration provide them with CCTV footage and the staff list to assist the police investigation.

They warned that if their demands are not met, they will escalate their protest and march to the Karachi Press Club.

The protesters also expressed concern over the lack of medication being provided to their patient.

In response to these allegations, a spokesperson of JPMC, Jahangir Durrani, stated that a suspicious woman had been accompanying the affected family for the past two days. "The woman had advised the family to take the newborn baby to NICH for a checkup, despite the hospital's doctors not recommending it" said the spokesperson.

Durrani claimed that CCTV footage shows the affected family and the baby girl leaving with the suspicious woman, only to return later.

At NICH, the family was informed that they needed a letter from JPMC's doctors to proceed with the checkup, which was deemed unnecessary as the baby was in good health.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered with the police, and the hospital administration is fully cooperating with the authorities. An investigative committee has also been formed to look into the matter.

The allegations regarding the mistreatment of the mother are unfounded, as she has been provided with all necessary facilities.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2023.