Newborn, found alive after being buried, dies at Srinagar hospital

A baby girl, who was declared dead soon after being born at a Ramban hospital but found alive an hour after her burial, died at a medical facility in Srinagar on Wednesday, officials said.

Medical Superintendent of the government-run G B Pant Children Hospital Dr Nazir Hussain Choudhary said the baby died at 6.30 am at the neonatal intensive care unit.

She was found alive after her family had been forced to dig up her grave when local people in Hollan village objected to her burial at their graveyard.

The baby was admitted to the Srinagar hospital on Monday soon after she was found breathing, Choudhary told PTI.

"She was a premature baby, had low birth weight with respiratory distress and was admitted in the ICU at the hospital," he said.

The baby belonged to Basharat Ahmad Gujjar and Shameema Begum, who had a normal delivery on Monday morning at the sub-district hospital in Banihal, Jammu.

The baby was declared dead after being born, following which her family decided to bury her at Hollan village.

However, when they were returning to the hospital, local people objected to the burial, forcing the family to dig out the grave nearly an hour later.

When the baby was taken out of the grave, she was found to be alive, and the family rushed her to the medical facility, from where she was referred to Srinagar for specialised treatment.

The incident sparked protests by the family and others inside the hospital complex against the 'non-professional attitude of the doctors and the hospital staff'.

Banihal Block Medical Officer Dr Rabia Khan said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

"We have already placed a junior staff nurse and sweeper working in the gynaecology section under suspension with immediate effect, pending an inquiry," she said.

Station House Officer of Banihal police station Muneer Ahmad Khan said an open FIR under relevant sections of the law has already been registered in connection with the incident.

"We are waiting for the outcome of the investigation ordered by the government and will act accordingly," he said.

The Directorate of Health Services, Jammu, had on Tuesday constituted a four-member panel to probe a complaint against the Banihal community health centre where the newborn was allegedly wrongly declared dead just after her birth.

Headed by Sanjay Turkey, Assistant Director (Schemes), DHS Jammu, the committee has been asked to submit its report within two days.