Child pronounced dead starts breathing after being taken to cemetery

A baby born today and pronounced deadhas been taken back to the hospital when people realised - after taking the child to the cemetery to be buried - that he was not dead.

The baby boy is the third child of a couple from Ga. Villingili and Ga. Dhevvadhoo.

A family member said that the mother was taken to ADK Hospital in Male’ on 26 December after doctors at Gdh. Thinadhoo Regional Hospital said that the baby was missing its skull. They were told by ADK that the facilities necessary to treat the mother were at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), and she was thus taken to IGMH on 30 December.

The family was advised by IGMH that it was not likely that the baby would survive, and that the mother should give birth as soon as possible. She hence delivered the baby at 9:30am today and the baby was shown to the parents at 12:00pm.

He said that IGMH informed the family at around 1:15pm that the baby was dead; but when taken to the cemetery to be buried, the personnel there said that the baby was not dead.

Following this, the father went to IGMH and requested for a doctor to be sent to the cemetery, which was denied at first by the hospital. He then met with the head of IGMH and complained, following which they agreed to send a doctor to the cemetery at around 6:00pm. The hospital head also acknowledged that this was due to the negligence of the hospital, apologised, and assured to investigate the matter and provide a report within seven days.

The family member said that a case has been filed to the police regarding sending a living baby to the cemetery to be buried.

A statement released by IGMH tonight regarding this incident says that the baby was sent to the cemetery because he showed signs of lifelessness, and that subsequent to assumptions that hewas still alive, he is now being treated at IGMH nursery. IGMH assured that the matter is under investigation.