Doctor alleges negligence over newborn information in Bhopal, hospital denies

Bhopal, July 9 (IANS) A junior doctor associated with Gandhi Medical College (GMC), Bhopal, has alleged negligence by a private hospital in the city over delay and discrepancies in providing information about his newborn, including the baby’s gender. The hospital has denied the charges.

The alleged incident occurred on July 1 at a Maternity Hospital in the Gautam Nagar area. However, it came to light after the doctor, Dr Tarun Mishra, wrote to the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO), Bhopal. His complaint letter went viral on social media on Tuesday evening.

In the letter, Dr Mishra stated that his wife, Awani Mishra, delivered a baby at the hospital on July 1. He alleged that the hospital staff did not inform them about the gender of the child immediately after birth.

"After waiting for hours, when I inquired, the hospital staff told me that my wife had given birth to a girl. However, the discharge summary mentioned the baby’s gender as male," Dr Mishra wrote. He added that although they have indeed received a girl child, as confirmed later, the error in the discharge papers and the delay in communication raised serious concerns.

Dr Mishra further alleged discrepancies in the medical records of the newborn. “Initially, we were informed that the baby weighed 3.1 kg, but in the discharge documents, the weight was mentioned as 3.7 kg,” he claimed.

Currently pursuing his postgraduate degree at GMC and serving as a junior doctor at Hamidia Hospital, Dr Mishra said such negligence causes panic and confusion for parents and should not be taken lightly.

“Repeated lapses like these are punishable offences and go against medical ethics. I request the CMHO to order an inquiry into the matter,” he said.

Responding to the allegations, the Maternity Hospital termed the claims “false and fabricated.” However, a senior staff member admitted that the gender mismatch in the discharge paper was a clerical error, which has since been corrected.

--IANS

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