Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad   

Couple alleges baby swap, backtracks

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD May 20. Even before the furore over the child swapping case at the Government Maternity Hospital could subside, reports of a similar episode recurring at the Gandhi Hospital caused panic in the Medical and Health Department here on Tuesday.

However, the unseemly row appears to be heading for an amicable settlement with the Nepalese couple, which earlier reportedly alleged a child swap, accepting the female child as theirs.

Mahender Singh, a driver, was first quoted as saying that his wife, Lakshmi, delivered a male baby at the Gandhi Hospital and that the hospital staff swapped the male child with a female baby. He later said that the baby girl was theirs only and that he had not made any complaints of a child swap.

The issue caused a flutter among the Medical and Health Department and the Gandhi Hospital on Tuesday morning and resulted in the Hospital Superintendent, K.V. Raghava Rao, visiting the neo-natal ward and enquiring with Mr. Singh and his wife, Ms. Lakshmi.

Mr. Singh, a resident of Marredpally, said, "we have been blessed with a female child and we accept her. There is nothing to complain of any child swap.''

A relieved Dr. Raghava Rao said Ms. Lakshmi delivered a baby girl around Saturday midnight, which developed respiratory distress. The baby was placed under intensive care. "Both the mother and the infant are doing well and we hope to discharge them tomorrow,'' he said.

Sources pointed out that senior officials of the Medical and Health Department, including the Health Minister's office, was in touch with hospital authorities and collected information about the case. Having made premature comments about the child swap case at the Nayapul Maternity Hospital, this time around the officials were wary and wanted to be doubly sure before reacting on the issue. A perfect case of once bitten and twin shy?

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