Bolangir: A newborn boy allegedly went missing from the special newborn care unit (SNCU) of the Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital (BBMCH) here Friday and was later found and brought back to the hospital after 12 hours.
As per reports, Sushil Swain of Budhipadar village under Kantamal block in Boudh district had admitted his wife Jhumki to the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department of the BBMCH, Thursday. She gave birth to a boy Friday morning. As the newborn was underweight, he was admitted to the SNCU. However, later the family members came to know that the infant was missing. Along with a voluntary organisation from Bolangir, they staged a sit-in protest questioning the safety of infants in the hospital and alleging that the child had been stolen. The worried family members then complained to the police outpost at the BBMCH in this regard.
However, after about 12 hours the Town police recovered the boy from another couple at Sahajapita village near Kachermal forest under Kantamal police limits in Boudh district and brought him back to BBMCH around 9 pm Friday. However, neither the hospital authorities nor the police revealed any details.
As per sources, the Child Welfare Committee is investigating the matter. Tension was palpable on the hospital premises with people demanding to know if the child was swapped or the hospital authorities were covering the matter to hide their goof-up.