In a shocking incident, a private hospital here has detained a newborn as hostage when her parents failed to pay the hospital bill amounting a little over Rs 4,300. Following media reports, the district Collector has ordered an administrative probe into it.
The incident took place in the industrial township of Choudwar on the outskirts of the city where a tribal woman, Kabita Kanhar (30), delivered a baby daughter on the night of September 9 at the Janasevak Nursing Home. But Kabita’s husband, a daily-wage earner, failed to pay the hospital bill.
The hospital, however, discharged Kabita on Saturday, saying she would get back the baby after paying the cost of the treatment. Reports said when Kabita returned to the hospital on Sunday morning with the requisite money, the hospital feigned ignorance, saying her baby was not in the hospital.
However, when reports appeared in the media, district Collector Nirmal Mishra on Monday ordered an inquiry asking the local tehsildar to probe into the matter.