DNA test to settle row over claims to newborn

Two women claim to have given birth to a boy at Allied Hospital.

FAISALABAD:

Two newborns, a girl and a boy, were taken into custody by Allied Hospital management on Wednesday for carrying out DNA tests to settle a row between families of the women who had given birth to the babies as both claimed to have given birth to the boy.

The hospital administration also suspended two nurses, Rehana Siddiqui and Asma, over allegations by Samanabad resident Saira’s family that the two had handed the boy to Millat Town resident Fauzia on receiving a bribe from her family.

Allied Hospital medical superintendent Rana Bashir has asked AMS Dr Khalid Rafiq to head the inquiry committee formed to probe the incident.

AMS Rafiq said one of the women had given birth to a girl but now both families were laying claim to the boy. He said there may have been some negligence on part of the administration.

“It is possible that both women were told that they had given birth to a boy,” he said.

Rafiq said he had discussed the matter with the families and assured them of an impartial inquiry. He said there would be no room for doubt once the DNA test results were available. He said strict action would be taken against any hospital employee found guilty of unprofessional conduct.

Earlier Saira’s family refused to take the girl and staged a protest in front of the hospital. They said they had been told that Saira had given birth to a boy but later a girl was handed over to them.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2011.