Declared dead, newborn found alive minutes before burial

A newborn girl was declared dead by a doctor at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Friday morning, but later was found alive just minutes before her burial at the graveyard.

The doctor declared the premature baby dead minutes after the mother, Shahinur Akter, gave birth to her early Friday after nearly seven months of pregnancy.

The father Yeasin Mollah, who is a bus driver, said that Shahinur, who was six months and 18 days pregnant, was admitted to the gynecology department of DMCH on Wednesday. After being admitted to Ward No. 212 of the hospital, the doctors saw his wife and informed them that her blood pressure was very high.

The doctor also said that if the baby is not delivered, her blood pressure will not decrease. Later, he agreed and an attempt was made to take her to the labour room on Wednesday night. However, she was kept in Ward No. 110 as they could not induce labour, he said.

He also said that she went into labour on Friday morning after two days of trying by the doctors. Then, Shahinur gave birth to a daughter at around 5am. However, doctors informed them that the baby was dead.

Hospital staffers put the baby in an abandoned box of hand gloves and asked Yeasin to take her to Azimpur graveyard for burial.

Yeasin took the baby to Azimpur graveyard, but he was advised to go to Rayerbazar graveyard where the burial cost is comparatively lower as he lacked the money.

At the Rayerbazar graveyard, a grave was dug, but minutes before the burial, the box jerked and the baby showed signs of movement inside, Yeasin said.

He opened the box and found his baby alive; she was moving and opening her mouth. Yeasin then rushed the baby straight to DMCH again.

“The on-duty doctor and nurse of Ward No. 211 said there is no vacant seat to admit the baby and asked me to take her to another hospital,” Yeasin alleged.

The baby was however admitted after Yeasin refused to take the baby elsewhere as he did not have the money to treat her in a private hospital.

DMCH Director Brigadier General AKM Nasir Uddin told the reporter that the newborn baby is alive and well; she has been admitted. 

“We will form an investigation committee with the head of the department and try to find out why this has happened,” he added.

Yeasin hails from Gopalganj. He used to live with his family in Dhaka’s Uttara area. This is their second child. They have a nine-year-old daughter.