Published Apr 04, 2026 | 9:05 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 04, 2026 | 9:05 PM
Though the child was admitted to the Special Newborn Care Unit, his life could not be saved.
Synopsis: The newborn’s father said the baby was rushed to the SNCU soon after he showed signs of distress. The SNCU, he alleged, was without power and doctors. The child had died by the time a doctor from the emergency unit attended to him.
A three-day-old boy died at NTR Government General Hospital in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalle on Friday, 3 April, evening, triggering protests by his family members, who alleged medical negligence and demanded action against the hospital staff.
The hospital, however, denied the charge and said the baby had died of aspiration.
The newborn’s father, V Srinivasa Rao, a resident of Govarapeta Street in Kasimkota, said his wife Tulasi was admitted to the hospital on 1 April after completing a full-term pregnancy. She underwent a cesarean section later that night and delivered a baby boy.
Rao said he noticed discolouration on the newborn’s legs on Friday morning. He immediately took the baby to the paediatric department, where a doctor examined the child, reassured the family that the infant was stable, and sent him back to the ward.
The situation, however, turned worse later in the day. After being breastfed in the afternoon, the baby’s condition reportedly deteriorated rapidly. Family members said the infant’s entire body turned discoloured by evening, and he began experiencing continuous hiccups. Alarmed, Rao rushed the baby to the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU).
The family alleged that there was no power supply at the SNCU and no doctor was immediately available. Though the hospital staff placed the infant in an incubator, doctors from the emergency wing arrived shortly, examined the baby, and declared him dead.
The incident sparked outrage among relatives, who gathered at the hospital and staged a protest, blocking parts of the premises and demanding accountability from the authorities.
Hospital Superintendent Dr Ravi Kumar intervened and held discussions with the agitating family members. Speaking to the media, he denied allegations of negligence and attributed the death to a medical complication.
He explained that the infant likely suffered milk aspiration, which might have led to respiratory distress and persistent hiccups. He said the father alerted hospital staff as soon as the baby showed signs of distress, and a duty doctor from the emergency department rushed to the SNCU. Despite efforts to revive the newborn, the child could not be saved.
Dr Kumar maintained that there was no lapse on the part of the medical staff and reiterated that such complications, though rare, could prove fatal for newborns. He also pointed to an existing shortage of paediatric specialists in the SNCU and said a proposal had already been sent to the government seeking additional staffing.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
