Delhi hospital that incorrectly declared newborn dead sacks two doctors

The Delhi hospital that incorrectly declared a newborn baby dead has said that it is terminating the services of two doctors involved in the incident.

The decision was taken Sunday night after a meeting of Max Healthcare authorities.

"While the inquiry by the expert group which includes external experts from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is still in process, we have decided to terminate the services of two treating doctors, doctors AP Mehta and Vishal Gupta in the case relating to the twin extreme pre-term babies," Max Healthcare said in a statement.

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"The strict action has been taken on the basis of our initial discussions with the expert group and as a reflection of our commitment to higher standards of care," the statement added.

The hospital however stated that the sackings should not indicate that the probe panel had indeed found a lapse.

On November 30, Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh, Delhi declared newborn twins, a girl and a boy, dead.

The twinswere handed over to their parents in plastic bags.

Later, the parents found that the boy was still alive.

The family staged a sit-in protest outside the hospital, demanding strict action against the hospital administration.

Max Healthcare authorities ordered an inquiry into the incident on December 1, and will release a detailed report in a week.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said on Saturday said that the hospital's licence could be cancelled if it was found guilty of negligence.