Boy or Girl? Mix-up at Koppal Hospital — Newborn’s death leads to confusion

Team Udayavani, Oct 2, 2024, 5:27 PM IST

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Koppal: Grief-stricken parents were shocked to receive the body of a baby boy, following the death of their newborn, who was declared a girl by doctors at the time of birth at the Koppal District hospital.

This incident has raised serious concerns about the hospital’s functioning.

Gowri, a resident of Hagaribommanahalli village in Vijayanagara district, was admitted to the Koppal District Hospital on September 23 for delivery. She gave birth to a baby on September 25.

At the time of delivery, doctors informed the family that a baby girl was born with low birth weight, and the newborn was kept in the special neonatal care unit. Unfortunately, the baby passed away on Tuesday. The hospital staff then handed over a deceased boy to the mother, informing her that her baby had passed away.

Shocked by this, the mother and her relatives confronted the doctors, stating that they had been told it was a baby girl at birth. However, now a deceased baby boy was being given to them. They expressed outrage and claimed that the boy was not their child. Hospital records also reportedly showed the birth of a girl, which has caused a huge uproar.

The parents have expressed severe dissatisfaction with the hospital’s mismanagement.

District Surgeon Dr Krishna Omkar has responded to the situation by forming a committee to investigate the matter and has instructed that a report be submitted immediately to identify where the error occurred.

“Our hospital admitted a pregnant woman named Gauri. At the time of birth, the baby was noted to have low birth weight and was placed in a special care unit. The baby passed away on Tuesday. Due to an error by staff, the baby was registered as a girl instead of a boy. We only became aware of this after the death. I have ordered an investigation, and appropriate action will be taken against those responsible based on the report,” said Krishna Omkar, District Surgeon, Koppal District Hospital.