| HC panel for DNA test to clear baby swap row |
| Sunday, 08 April 2012 03:23 | |
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With no Government intervention forthcoming to address the sensitive issue at the SCB Medical College Hospital where a newborn girl child has been deprived of her mother's care and comfort for last nine days, an advocates' committee of the Odisha High Court on Saturday suggested the hospital authorities to go in for a DNA test to clear the air on the baby swapping controversy. Concerned over the matter, the lawyers committee visited the hospital on Saturday and advised authorities to video-record deliveries in the labour room and the statements of the mothers so as to nip this new social menace in its bud wherein mothers are refusing to accept girl children born to them. "We have also advised the hospital to send the footprint impression of the child for forensic tests immediately and introduce the system of maintaining baby tag in labour rooms in future," said High Court amicus curie Pravat Ranjan Dash, who visited the hospital along with advocate Tara Ranjan Dash and Dr PK Pradhan of the committee. This intervention from the HC committee comes at a time when the entire Government machinery has surprisingly maintained silence over the issue for last nine days leaving the newborn in the mercy of hospital nurses, who are feeding it breast milk borrowed from other mothers. Rashmita Mallick of nearby Asureswar had delivered the baby girl on March 30, but she refused to accept the child when her mother-in-law claimed that she had seen Rashmita giving birth to a boy. Rashmita's husband lodged a police complaint over the issue and was contemplating to move the High Court on Monday seeking a direction for a DNA test. |