Uttar Pradesh: Nurse leaves newborn unattended on table for 40 minutes over Rs 5,100 ‘naig’; infant dies

A case of medical negligence was reported from Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri. A family alleged that their newborn child died due to a nurse's refusal to hand over the baby until a naig (reward) of Rs 5100 was made. The baby's condition reportedly deteriorated as a result, leading to his death.

Sujit Kumar, a resident of Anoha Patara in Kurg village, Karhal district, has filed a complaint with local administration, the CMO, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after his newborn child died due to apathy of the Community Health Centre staff at Karhal.

In the letter, Sujit said that he had admitted his wife, Sanjali, to the CHC Karhal on September 18 after she experienced labour pains. He accused the nurse Jyoti of neglecting her wife’s care. On the morning of September 19, when Sanjali delivered a baby boy, the nurse Jyoti demanded a ‘naig’ of Rs 5,100 to hand over the baby.

Despite repeated pleas, she refused to hand over the baby, insisting on receiving the cash first and allegedly wrapped the baby in a cloth and placed him on a table. Left with no choice, he paid the amount to the nurse, who gave them the child after 40 minutes of delay. However, by then, the baby's condition had worsened. The baby was then referred to Safai Medical College for treatment, but he passed away shortly after arriving. Even now the staff at CHC is pressurising me to compromise or else face the consequences, alleged Sujit.

Doctors at Safai Medical College attributed the baby's death to a lack of proper care during labour and delivery.

Mainpuri CMO RK Gupta said a three-member committee has been constituted to probe the matter.