A CASE has been registered against four doctors here for allegedly failing to detect a serious malformation in a newborn while it was in the mother's womb, the police said on Thursday.
The accused are two female doctors attached to the Kadappuram Government Women and Child Hospital in Alappuzha along with two others from private diagnostic labs, they said.
The police registered an FIR on Tuesday based on a complaint by Anish and Surumi, a couple from Alappuzha.
The doctors were booked under different sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) that included endangering life or personal safety of others. Two of the scan centres were operated by the two doctors accused in the matter.
Meanwhile, the state health department also ordered an inquiry into the matter.
Health Minister Veena George said a special team, led by the Additional Director of the Health Department, will investigate allegations that a newborn's abnormalities were not detected during prenatal checks at the Women and Children’s Hospital in Alappuzha.
The minister has directed the Health Department's Director to initiate an inquiry immediately after the incident came to light on Wednesday.
A district-level investigation is already underway, according to an official release.
The probe will also cover scanning centres linked to the case. "If any lapses are identified during the investigation, strict action will be taken against those responsible," the minister stated.
The couple alleged that the doctors failed to detect or disclose the abnormalities in the baby during prenatal scans, instead assuring them that the reports were normal.
They also claimed that they were shown the baby only four days after delivery, according to the complaint.
The FIR stated that Surumi, 35, was undergoing treatment for her third pregnancy at Kadappuram Women and Child Hospital.
The scans were performed on July 11, September 28, October 22, and November 1.
On October 30, Surumi was admitted for delivery. However, she was referred to Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) in Vandanam, Alappuzha, citing the absence of fetal movement and heartbeat, the FIR said.
On November 8, the baby was delivered following surgery at MCH and was found to have severe internal and external deformities.
Meanwhile, one of the accused doctors, responding to the allegations, said she had treated Surumi only during the initial months of her pregnancy.
"I provided care for three months at the beginning of her pregnancy. The reports shown to me indicated issues with the fetus's growth," she said.
The doctors associated with the diagnostic labs, however, maintained that there were no errors in the scan reports.
Responding to the matter, a Kerala Government Medical Officers' Association (KGMOA) functionary said that an investigation is already underway and the true facts of the incident should come to light. (PTI)
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