Family alleges newborn sustained burns during treatment at govt hospital in MP; doctor denies claim

Shahdol: The family of a nine-day-old baby has alleged that he sustained burn wounds after undergoing phototherapy for jaundice at a government hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol. The facility has, however, denied the charge, police said on Saturday.

The infant’s family created an uproar at government-run Birsa Munda Medical College and Hospital on Friday, and the police were alerted, an official said.

The newborn was then shifted to Kushabhau Thakre District Hospital for treatment, he said.

The child was born at the Birsa Munda Medical College and Hospital on August 23, and doctors placed him in a phototherapy machine to treat him for jaundice, inspector Bhupendra Mani Pandey of Sohagpur police station told PTI.

However, the baby allegedly sustained burns on his face and back, following which the family created an uproar, claiming that the doctors had administered the wrong treatment, he said.

Dr Nagendra Singh, the medical officer of Birsa Munda Medical College and Hospital, said the baby was placed in a phototherapy machine on August 25.

Dr Singh claimed rashes started appearing on the baby’s back and face.

Skin doctors diagnosed that the baby suffered from a skin syndrome, and his haemoglobin level was below normal, he claimed.

“We had advised the family to take him to the Jabalpur Medical College and Hospital for advanced treatment, but instead, they created a furore at the hospital,” Dr Singh said.