Premature baby allegedly carried off by stray dog in State-run hospital Bengal’s Bankura

The incident, which follows massive protests in West Bengal in light of the rape and murder at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, has once more raised questions about safety in State-run hospitals

Family members of a pregnant woman who delivered a premature baby at a State-run hospital in Bankura district have claimed that the newborn was taken away by a dog. This incident has raised questions about infrastructure and security in State-run hospitals. 

A local woman had been admitted to the Bankura Sonamukhi Rural Hospital faced a tragic loss when she accidentally delivered her six-month-old premature baby in the washroom of the hospital. The baby was allegedly carried away from the washroom by a stray dog roaming around in the hospital premises. 

The woman, who was six months into her pregnancy, had been admitted to the maternity ward of the rural hospital on Monday (November 18, 2024) night after she started feeling stomach aches. She has been shifted to the nearby Bishnupur Super-Speciality Hospital after the incident came to light, and is undergoing treatment now.

The hospital authorities have also said that they will further investigate the matter. But the family of the mother alleged that no one came to their rescue even as they kept calling for help. 

The incident came to the fore after West Bengal saw a three-month-long movement with doctors in the State demanding better safety measures and infrastructure in hospitals. The protests followed in the aftermath of the rape and murder of an on-duty 31-year-old female doctor inside the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in the heart of Kolkata on August 9.

Published - November 19, 2024 08:41 pm IST