Declared dead, Newborn’s body mauled by stray dogs at UP hospital

Lalitpur: In a disturbing incident at Lalitpur Medical College in Uttar Pradesh, stray dogs were seen tearing apart the body of a newborn. The shocking visuals of the dogs devouring the baby’s head have ignited outrage and raised serious concerns about negligence.

According to news reports, by the time people were able to chase away the dogs, they had already eaten the baby's head. The hospital administration has reportedly denied responsibility, placing the blame on the child's family, accusing them of negligence.

The newborn was born on February 9 at the District Women's Hospital, a part of Lalitpur Medical College. According to Dr. Meenakshi Singh, Chief Medical Officer, the child was born with severe congenital defects and was underweight. Given the child's fragile condition, he was admitted to the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) for medical attention.

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Speaking to NDTV, Dr Meenakshi said, “The child's head wasn't fully developed. He didn't have a spine either and weighed 1.3kg. He was alive and had a heart rate of 80 beats per minute (bpm) when we moved him to SNCU. We were not sure if the child would survive.”

Despite the efforts to stabilize the child, he died by the evening. The hospital authorities handed over the body to the family. Dr Singh mentioned that the body was taken by the child's aunt, and a record of the receipt, including the aunt's thumb impression, is available for verification.

On Tuesday afternoon, the hospital administration received news of the dog attack. Upon investigation, the headless body of a child was found on the ground. The hospital administration has alleged that the body was abandoned by the family.

According to NDTV, Dr Singh said, “We believe the family threw the child's body in a plastic bag. The child had the hospital tag attached which is how we could identify.”

The hospital administration has failed to inform the police immediately. As per the news reports, the body was removed hours before the police were informed. In response to public outrage, Lalitpur Medical College Principal D Nath has constituted a four-member committee to conduct an inquiry into the incident. The committee has been ordered to submit a detailed report within 24 hours.

This is not the first time the hospital has faced scrutiny. There have been previous reports of negligence, raising concerns about the hospital's handling of patient care and safety.