Patna, April 4: The body of an infant was handed over to wrong parents at Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) today, who went ahead and performed the last rites without realising that it was not their child.

The problem started when the actual parents of the infant showed up and created a ruckus at the hospital demanding the body of their child. "One Jhumri Devi, a resident of Sormera village in Nalanda, was admitted to the maternity ward of PMCH last (Friday) afternoon. The woman had come with her family. She delivered a baby girl around midnight. However, the infant was not healthy and was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (Nicu). The mother, too, was unwell and hence was admitted to a ward of the gynaecology department. Leaving the baby at the Nicu, the family then attended to Jhumri. In the small hours of Saturday, around 3am, the child died," an officer at Pirbahore police station, said.

The nurse at the Nicu called out for the parents of the child but no one came in.

"They were in a different ward (gynaecology) and hence didn't come for the body. In the same ward (Nicu), another infant (a boy) of one Pramod Kumar had been admitted in a critical condition. When the nurse called out for the parents of the deceased, Pramod, who later claimed he was in a disturbed state of mind, thought his child had died. He collected the body and performed the last rites at Kali Ghat this (Saturday) morning," said a police officer.

Incidentally, Pramod, too, is a resident of Nalanda.

The officer added: "Pramod didn't check as to whether it was his child or not. Neither did the employees of PMCH. Today morning, when the actual parents of the infant came and asked for their child, the mistake came to light. Pramod was traced from the hospital and quizzed. He realised his mistake then. Pramod said he was disturbed about his ill son and was not in a position to think straight. His wife, too, had been admitted at the gynaecology ward. The family of the deceased demanded the body and submitted a complaint citing negligence on the part of the hospital."

PMCH superintendent Lakhendra Prasad confirmed the incident.

"Investigations are being carried out. Anyone found guilty of this kind of a negligence would face action in the form of suspension," he said.