JAMMU: Authorities at Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital in Jammu have initiated an internal inquiry after two families, one from Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir and another from Chhattisgarh, alleged that their newborn daughters were exchanged at birth in 2022, Chandiagh newspaper The Tribune reported.
The development comes after both sets of parents recently conducted DNA tests, which, according to them, confirmed that the two girls, born on the same day in September 2022 at the hospital, had been swapped shortly after delivery. Following the test results, the families approached both the police and the hospital administration to formally raise the matter.
Responding to the allegations, the SMGS Hospital administration issued a statement stating that a preliminary investigation had been launched. “As per our records, two female babies were delivered by two different mothers on September 8, 2022, one at 3.05 am and the other at 3.06 am. Their footprints were separately documented in the delivery register,” the statement noted.
The hospital has not found any evidence of negligence or wrongdoing by its staff so far. “However,” the statement added, “the matter has been brought to the notice of police authorities who are also investigating. All cooperation and support shall be extended to them. Should any involvement of hospital staff come to light, strict disciplinary action will follow.”
The incident has raised concerns about delivery protocols and baby identification systems in government hospitals, especially in high-volume maternity wards. The outcome of the ongoing police and hospital investigations is awaited.
