Infant’s Finger Severed After Staff Shuts Door at Gurugram Daycare

The nine-month-old’s finger was allegedly cut off after a caretaker shut a door on the infant’s hand.

Intellitots Daycare Centre at Fortis Memorial Hospital in Gurugram. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@Intellitots)

On 18 May, Bhawna Rastogi’s nine-month-old baby’s finger was severed after a caretaker at the ‘Intellitots’ daycare centre in Gurugram slammed a door on the child’s hand.

Rastogi chose to send her child to the daycare centre – under the ambit of The Fortis Memorial Hospital in Gurugram – after she was “assured of hygiene, staff training, CCTV, fancy interiors and their commitment to the child's well-being”

Rastogi took to Facebook to express her anger and share her grievance as she narrated her painful ordeal.

After dropping her child at 10 am, Rastogi got a call from the centre at 10:30 am saying that her daughter was unconscious and that the ring finger on her left hand was missing.

A maid at the centre had allegedly shut the door while handling the baby and the finger of the child got caught between the doors.

No one imagine what it was to see her screaming and all in blood with her finger piece separated. This is the worst nightmare which no parents should go through and right now we are going through hell!! (sic)

Rastogi said in a Facebook post

Rastogi’s child underwent a surgery on 19 May at Medanta Hospital and is about to undergo another one on 25 May.

When Rastogi demanded answers from Intellitots, she was infuriated by what she deemed was a case of ‘criminal negligence and violation of basic infrastructure’. She accused the centre of withholding evidence from her and her husband.

The CCTV got accidentally unplugged and only for that time when this happened, there is NO footage available!! They are clearly hiding the real incident and now withholding evidence!

She added

The maid who banged the door on my daughter had never shut the door before in the past and they don’t know how it could have happened.

Rastogi went on to call the behaviour of the centre ‘criminal’ and cited that the basic rights of her child were being violated.

This is a gross violation of the rules and regulation laid down by the Ministry of Women and Child Development under ECEE (No. 6-3/2009-ECEE) and is a clear case of criminal negligence & violation of basic infrastructure and training required for running early childhood care.

Pooja Goyal, the co-founder of Intellitots, told The Times of India:

We deeply regret the unfortunate accident involving a child that occurred at one of our centres. Our team reacted immediately and took the injured child to the emergency room where she was treated under the guidance of one of the most competent doctors in NCR. Thankfully, the child and her finger is safe (sic). We are currently investigating the incident and are committed to taking corrective measures. Intellitots stands in support of the parents and family and we are extending all possible support to the child. We wish the child a speedy recovery

Rastogi, however, promised to take whatever action was necessary against the centre.

I will take all necessary measures by taking help from police and the legal system to give us justice and punish the guilty in an exemplary manner so that this serves as a lesson for all such places.