A newborn girl was mistakenly declared dead at Teaching Hospital Sahiwal before being reunited with her family after a review of hospital records, according to media reports.
The hospital administration initially issued a death certificate and obtained the signature of the baby’s maternal uncle for the body’s receipt. However, the family alleged they were informed of the infant’s death but were not given the body. They further claimed the hospital had abducted the newborn.
Following the family’s protest and police intervention, hospital authorities handed the living baby over to her parents. The family has since demanded that the Punjab chief minister order an inquiry and take action against those responsible.
Hospital cites mistaken identity
Responding to the allegations, the hospital administration said the incident resulted from a case of mistaken identity. According to officials, the mothers of two newborn girls had identical names, which led staff to issue the death certificate to the wrong family.
The administration said the error came to light after police and media representatives reached the hospital following the family’s protest.
## Records review confirms baby was alive
Hospital officials said they conducted a fresh review of patient records to verify the identities of both newborns. The investigation confirmed that the complainants’ baby was alive, while the deceased infant belonged to another family.
The administration maintained that the confusion stemmed from matching names rather than intentional wrongdoing. Nevertheless, the incident has raised concerns about patient identification procedures and record management in public hospitals. Authorities are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the error following the family’s demand for accountability.
