Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday said that strict action will be taken against Max Hospital, Shalimar Garden branch, and if required its licence would be cancelled, after the hospital in a case of ‘medical negligence’ declared a baby dead along with its stillborn twin, but was found to be alive later.

“When we came to know about negligence on the part of the hospital we ordered inquiry into the same. And I want to assure all that if they don’t work properly we will cancel the licence of the hospital,” Jain said.

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He said the enquiry report will come by Monday.

Jain also said that a show cause notice was served to the hospital on 22 November for not treating the patients of EWS (economically weaker section) category.

Doctors of the hospital had allegedly declared declared a baby dead, along with his stillborn twin, and handed the bodies in a polythene bag to their parents, who later realised that one of them was alive while on way their to a crematorium to perform the last rites.

The twins were born on Thursday morning to a woman at Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh. She was brought to the hospital from a nursing home in Paschim Vihar.

The incident prompted the Health Minister to order a probe on Friday.

Sought a report on shocking criminal negligence byMaxHospitalShalimar Bagh & directed Dept to conduct a inquiry into this unacceptable act

— Satyendar Jain (@SatyendarJain) December 1, 2017

Police complaint against hospital 

After the incident, the family approached the police and lodged a complaint against the hospital

“Yesterday, we received a call at Shalimar Bagh Police Station. The callers said one Varsha, wife of Ashish, was referred to the Max Hospital from a nursing home in Paschim Vihar on account of possibility of premature delivery. She was admitted there on 28 November. The doctors had told the family that she was serious and the chances of survival of the twins were slim, as she was six months pregnant,” police said on Friday.

Varsha had given birth to a boy and a girl. The family was later informed by the hospital that the twins were stillborn and handed over to the family, they said.

‘Negligence’ by Max Hospital

The family was handed the babies in a polythene bag and they were on way to perform their last rites, when the father felt the boy move inside the bag.

“We tore the packet, there were 2-3 clothes and polythene bags. The kid was still breathing. We rushed the baby to a nearby nursing home in Pitampura,” the father said.

Clarification by hospital

The Max Hospital in a statement on Friday said, “It has been brought to our attention that a premature (22 weeks), newborn baby who is reported to be on life support at a nursing home was unfortunately handed over without any sign of life by Max Hospital Shalimar Bagh.”

“This baby was one of the twins delivered on 30 November morning. The other baby was stillborn. We are shaken and concerned at this rare incident,” it said.

The statement said a detailed enquiry was initiated, pending which, the concerned doctor was asked to proceed on leave immediately and they were in constant touch with the parents and are providing all the needed support.

The hospital also said it was in constant touch with the parents and ready to extend all support.

A similar incident was reported from Safdarjung Hospital in June when a newborn was found alive after doctors had declared the baby dead.

(With agency inputs)