Newborn Death Row: Shalimar Bagh’s Max Hospital Resumes Operations

The Delhi government had cancelled the hospital’s license for erroneously declaring a newborn dead.

Max Hospital in Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh resumed its operations on Wednesday, days after its license was cancelled by Delhi government for declaring a live newborn baby dead.

The hospital said the operation was resumed after the Court of Finance Commissioner on Tuesday put on hold the government's 8 December order for the cancellation of the hospital’s license.

We are fully focussed on providing quality care to all our patients and honouring our commitment of ensuring free treatment to the economically weaker sections of the society.

Max Hospital statement

The hospital had appealed to the appellate authority to revoke the cancellation of the licence.

The Delhi government had cancelled the hospital’s license on 8 December after its doctors on 30 November declared a premature newborn baby dead. He was found alive when his parents took his body for final rites.

The baby died a week later due to "infection and other medical problems".

Medical Associations Condemned the Cancellation

The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) had called the Delhi government’s move "irrational and autocratic".

It had said it would give a call for a strike if needed and would appeal to the government to revoke the license cancellation decision.

On Friday, 8 December, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had termed the cancellation of the license "too harsh a step". It had backed the hospital and said if all hospitals start facing similar situations where patients die due to such mistakes.

IMA president KK Aggarwal, a cardiologist, had said the government decision was "not in the interest of the society.”

I personally feel it was wrong. The government has taken a wrong decision... For a mistake that occurred at the level of a doctor, the license of the hospital cannot be cancelled.

KK Aggarwal, president, IMA

Kejriwal, however, had attacked the previous dispensation in Delhi, alleging they were often hand in glove with the "big" and the mighty. “If we had entered into any setting with the hospital, we would not have been able to face our conscience and would have lost the faith of the people,” he had said.

Family of Twin Babies Said Govt Action Will Serve as Deterrent

The family of the baby had welcomed the decision by the Delhi government, saying the action will serve as a deterrent to other private hospitals.

Ashish Kumar, father of the babies, had told PTI, “We took the body yesterday (7 December) and performed the last rites. We are feeling very relieved that the government fast-tracked the case. We have planned to meet Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and thank him for the support.”

“The action will serve as a deterrent to other private hospitals,” he added.

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Max Hospital: Stuck Between Lack of Guidelines & Medical Ethics?

(With inputs from ANI, PTI and IANS)

(This article has been updated)

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