A newborn baby girl was reported missing from the gynecological ward of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) overnight between Friday and Saturday.
The family of the girl raised serious concerns about the alleged negligence of the hospital administration. However, the hospital’s spokesperson countered the claims, stating that a suspicious woman had been with the family for two days and had advised them to take the baby girl to the National Institute of Child and Health (NICH) for a check-up. The disappearance of the newborn baby girl triggered a protest by the family.
Mindful of the hospital environment, the protesters refrained from resorting to loud slogans. Holding banners and placards, they expressed their grievances, explaining that the baby girl was born through a surgical procedure at 1am on Saturday. Sometime after the mother fell asleep, an unidentified individual allegedly took away the baby.
Initially, doctors claimed that the baby might had been transferred to the NICH for examination. However, when the mother raised her voice, the doctors and staff appeared ignorant of the situation.
The protesters threatened to expand their protest if the hospital failed to provide CCTV footage and a staff list to the police. They also warned of taking their demands to the Karachi Press Club. Additionally, they accused the hospital administration of pressuring them to end the protest and claimed that medication for their other patients had been halted. Contrary to the family’s allegations, JPMC spokesperson Jahangir Durrani informed the media that a suspicious woman had been in the company of the family for two days. He stated that the woman had advised the family to have the baby girl examined at the NICH. However, Durrani clarified that the hospital’s doctor did not recommend a visit to NICH and that the CCTV footage showed the family leaving the hospital ward with the girl and the woman later returning after being advised by the NICH doctor to obtain a slip from the first ward hospital doctor for the check-up.
The baby was reported to be in good health, making a visit to the NICH unnecessary. An FIR had been registered with the police, who claim that the hospital administration was fully cooperating with the investigation.
The hospital administration has also formed an investigation committee to look into the matter. Dismissing the allegations of treatment being completely halted, they assure that all necessary medical facilities were being provided to the baby girl’s mother in the gynecological wards of the hospital.