Delhi newborn death case: Max Hospital ropes in 2 IMA experts in probe team

Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that if the hospital was found guilty of medical negligence, it's licence could be cancelled

Two experts from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have been included in the probe team set up by Max Healthcare authorities to investigate the case of a premature baby being wrongly declared dead, the hospital said on Sunday.

The case pertains to the birth of twins (boy and girl) on November 30. Both the babies were declared dead by the Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh. However, the family later found the boy was alive.

"The expert group set up by Max Healthcare to investigate the circumstances and protocols followed regarding the premature delivery (23 weeks/5 months) of the twins and the subsequent declaration of death at Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, is working swiftly towards concluding their detailed investigations.

 

"Dr Arun Agarwal, Chairman, Ethic Committee, IMA and Dr Ramesh Datta, Joint Secretary, IMA, have been included as external experts in the group," Max Healthcare said in a statement.

The investigation is expected to conclude by tomorrow and the findings are expected to be shared thereafter, it said.

Max Healthcare authorities had ordered an inquiry into the case on December 1, saying a doctor concerned had been "asked to proceed on leave immediately".

 

The Delhi government has ordered its own probe into the shocking incident.

Health Minister Satyendar Jain had yesterday said that if the hospital was found guilty of medical negligence in its probe, it's licence could be cancelled.

The mother was brought to the hospital from a nursing home in Paschim Vihar, police said.

The parents were earlier told by the hospital that both the babies were stillborn, and were handed to them in a polythene bag, but just before their last rites, the family found that the boy was alive, police said.

 

"We rushed the baby to a nearby nursing home in Pitampura, where he is on life support," the father had earlier said.

Police have already registered a case of attempt to commit culpable homicide against two doctors.