A newborn girl has been abandoned in Jodhpur’s Umaid Hospital since her birth seven days ago, and is waiting for a DNA test to identify her biological parents.
She was born on the same night when another boy was born in the hospital. While the two couples are fighting to claim the boy, saying the babies were switched by the hospital staff, the girl has been deprived of her right to mother’s attention, universally acknowledged as crucial for the healthy development of a child.
The newborn has so far been through three committees formed to choose which one of the two couples are her biological parents. Two committees gave their reports on the basis of blood samples. However, the declared parents have refused to accept the child and want confirmation from the third committee that will give the DNA test results, which will take at least 40 days.
According to hospital superintendent Narendra Chhangani, a boy was born to one Reshmi Devi and a girl to one Poonam Kanwar on March 25. “But the negligent staff, whom we have given disciplinary notices, handed the boy to Poonam by mistake,” Chhangani said.
There was a ruckus when the staff took the boy back and gave the girl to Poonam saying there was a mistake. Both Poonam and Reshmi began claiming the boy.
After the police intervened, the hospital decided to go for a DNA test to match the infants with their respective parents. “We tried to convince Poonam’s family that she gave birth to the girl. We also proved it medically by matching the blood groups, but they refused to accept the results and preferred to wait for the DNA report,” Chhangani said.
The boy is in Reshmi’s care and the girl is in the hospital’s nursery, waiting for the DNA results. The nursing staff have been taking care of her. “It is very unfortunate that this girl is being punished for being a girl,” said one nurse.
Chhangani said the hospital may shift the girl to a child care home. “We are trying to persuade the girl’s father, Chain Singh, to give us in writing that the baby is his. If he doesn’t, we’d have no option but to shift the girl to a baby care home,” he said.