Two families in Udaipur, Rajasthan, are anxiously awaiting the results of DNA tests to determine the biological parents of newborn babies in a suspected "baby swap" incident at Maharana Bhupal (MB) Hospital. Both families claim a newborn boy as their own.
According to Hathipol Police Station in-charge Yogendra Vyas, the incident occurred on Tuesday night when two women gave birth in the same hospital. One woman gave birth to a baby boy around 12:00 am, while the other had a baby girl at 12:46 am. Initially, the family of the first woman was congratulated and handed a newborn boy. However, approximately 1.5 hours later, hospital staff informed them of a mistake, stating that she had actually given birth to a girl. This discrepancy led to a dispute between the family and the hospital staff.
Ashok, the brother of one of the women, alleged that the hospital administration was at fault and was attempting to cover up the incident by blaming lower-level staff. He recounted that his sister was initially given a baby boy but was later told she had a girl.
Police were called to the hospital to investigate. Yogendra Vyas visited the hospital and checked the records. He confirmed that complaints had been filed by both families, demanding a DNA test to ascertain the biological parents of the newborns. The hospital administration has acknowledged their mistake.
DNA samples have been collected from both babies and their parents. The DNA samples have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for testing to clarify the matter. The DNA report is expected to be available in approximately 15 days. Until the results are received, both babies will remain under the care of the hospital nursery.
This is not the first instance of a baby swap in Rajasthan hospitals. In a similar incident in September 2022, two newborns were swapped at a Jaipur hospital due to the negligence of hospital staff. In that case, the babies were born on September 1, and the mistake came to light when one of the women claimed she had given birth to a girl, not a boy. Suspicions were further raised when the blood groups of the babies did not match their presumed parents. DNA tests were conducted, and after 10 days, the babies were reunited with their biological parents.
The current situation has caused considerable distress to both families involved. They face an agonizing wait for the DNA results to determine which child belongs to them. Instructions have been issued to take action against the staff whose negligence led to the situation.
