Minor dies after delivery, newborn rescued from bin

COIMBATORE: A 17-year-old girl, who was seven months into pregnancy, died after pre-mature delivery due to postnatal complications at a private hospital in Salem on Thursday.

Shockingly, the newborn preterm girl baby was dumped in a bin while presumed to be dead and was rescued and kept in the incubator at Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital in Salem (GMKMC) in a critical condition. The Vazhapadi police have initiated an inquiry into the incident.

Parents of the minor approached a private hospital in Vazhapadi to abort the fetus of their daughter, who became pregnant due to an affair with a relative. As the fully grown fetus could not be aborted, Doctor Selvambal Rajkumar performed a natural delivery for the minor at the hospital on Thursday night.

Soon after delivery, the victim developed gasping and was rushed to GMKMC, where doctors declared the girl to be dead already.

Therefore, a team of doctors led by M Valarmathi, Deputy Director of Medical and Rural Health Services and Vazhapadi Government Hospital chief Medical Officer Jayaselvi inquired about the private hospital doctor Selvambal on Friday morning.

Based on a complaint by the inquiry team, the Vazhapadi police have registered a case against Selvambal and further inquiries are on.

It then came to light that the staff had dumped the newborn in a bin on the hospital premises presuming it to be dead as the baby did not open her eyes after birth.

“The police and doctors, who were shocked to find the baby alive, had rushed it to GMKMC for treatment. The baby was left unattended in the bin for more than ten hours after its birth since Thursday night,” said police.