SAHIWAL – A shocking case of alleged negligence has emerged at the DHQ Teaching Hospital in Sahiwal, where a newborn girl was mistakenly declared dead and issued a death certificate before later being found alive following police intervention.
According to the family, hospital authorities informed them that the baby had died and issued an official death certificate. However, despite completing the required paperwork and obtaining the maternal uncle’s signatures to receive the body, the hospital did not hand over the infant.
The family also alleged that the mobile number listed on the death certificate was incorrect. After failing to receive the baby’s body, they contacted the police helpline (15), prompting police to intervene and question the hospital administration.
Following the police inquiry, it was discovered that the newborn who had been declared dead was actually alive. The baby was subsequently handed over to her family.
The family has demanded that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz take action against those responsible for the incident.
The case has raised serious concerns over possible negligence by the hospital administration.
In its explanation, the hospital said the confusion arose because two mothers had identical names. According to the administration, the death certificate was mistakenly issued to the wrong family due to the similarity in the mothers’ names.
Hospital officials said the family’s protest brought police and media to the hospital, after which a review of medical records confirmed that the newborn girl was alive, while the infant who had died was another baby. The administration said the identities of both newborns were corrected after the records were rechecked.
