Tamil Nadu - Erode   

‘Absence of security led to child being stolen’

ERODE: The theft of a day-old baby boy from the Government Hospital here has raised questions regarding the effectiveness of security in the post-natal ward.

On Sunday, a couple from Muthur lost their baby. A woman who entered the ward claiming to be friend of the baby’s father took away the child. The incident happened around 10.45 a.m.

Hospital sources say both on weekends as well as weekdays the ward’s security is so poor that anybody can walk in and out without being monitored. A staff on conditions of anonymity says more men than women can be found in the mornings at the ward, and that at times it becomes difficult for the nursing mothers.

The Sunday’s incident is not an isolated case. A few months ago, in a similar incident a woman who took away a baby boy from the ward was later traced to nearby Pallipalayam in Namakkal district.

The police inquiries with the woman revealed that she had taken away the baby, as she was childless. In October 2005 too, a similar incident happened in which a six-day-old baby boy was stolen.

R. Balasubramanian, a member of the Patient Welfare Society of the Hospital, says as the security there was inadequate, the Erode Blood Bank, under the public-private partnership programme, appointed security personnel about six months ago.

The Bank, however, had to suspend the personnel as they were found wanting.

Mr. Balasubramanian wants the Hospital management to strengthen security and also install closed circuit television cameras.

The Erode police say the theft is carried out by childless couples. They also deny the existence of either middlemen or a gang behind such thefts.

In response to the suggestion, a senior doctor says the Hospital management will soon introduce token system, where in two relatives of the woman admitted for delivery will be issued token and only those holding tokens will be allowed inside the ward.

The doctor adds that the system will be introduced by the end of this month.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Annual day
Rice donated for free meal scheme
Man found dead under suspicious circumstances
Hairdressers demand reservation
Elephant found dead
Under asbestos, students and teachers find the heat too much
‘Absence of security led to child being stolen’
Tribals’ association postpones Chennai march

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu