In a disturbing incident at the District Civil Hospital on Trimbak Road, Nashik, a newborn baby was reportedly swapped during discharge on Tuesday (15th) night. The family of a woman, Rutika Mahesh Pawar, who gave birth at the hospital, claimed they were initially told she had delivered a boy. However, during discharge, they were handed a girl, leading to outrage and chaos at the hospital.
Rutika had been admitted to the hospital for delivery, and on Sunday (13th) at around 11:30 p.m., she gave birth to a baby. Nurses informed the family that the baby was a boy, and this was even recorded in the hospital's delivery register. Due to the baby's low weight and a medical condition involving fluid in the stomach, the infant was moved to the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) for treatment. On Tuesday night, as the family prepared for discharge, they realized that the baby in their care was a girl, not the boy they had expected.
The family immediately confronted the hospital staff, demanding an explanation for the swap. Despite the nurses insisting that the baby girl was theirs, the family, growing increasingly frustrated, requested a thorough check of the hospital records. This situation quickly escalated as the family was adamant that their baby was a boy, not a girl.
With no resolution in sight, the family alerted Prahar Sangathan, a local organization, whose district president, Anil Bhadange, intervened. Tensions ran high, and by Wednesday morning (16th), a crowd of relatives gathered at the hospital, refusing to accept the girl and demanding the return of their son.
A report was submitted to District Surgeon Dr. Charudatta Shinde, who assured the family that a DNA test would be conducted to resolve the matter. He stated that the DNA test would be facilitated by the civil administration, although the family also had the option to arrange for private testing. The hospital has confirmed that no conclusions can be drawn without the DNA test results.
The family has refused to leave the hospital until the matter is resolved and has demanded immediate action against the responsible hospital staff. They are holding the District Surgeon and the medical team accountable for any harm that may come to the mother due to the distress caused by this incident.
The civil administration has acknowledged the severity of the issue, and an investigation is underway.