Hospital orders probe after newborn taken from nursery

LAHORE: The management of the Women and Children Hospital has formed an inquiry committee after a 17-day-old infant was taken from the hospital’s nursery, an incident that also led to the suspension of two Class IV employees pending the outcome of the investigation.

The child was allegedly abducted four days before the committee was announced on Sunday. The episode sparked alarm among the family, who staged protests, and prompted police to respond immediately. Investigators launched an intensive operation, taking into account heightened security arrangements during Muharram and concerns about any possible effect on law and order.

Police recovered the newborn within 24 hours and arrested four suspects, including a woman, in connection with the alleged abduction. After legal formalities were completed, the infant was handed back safely to his parents.

The case has raised questions about security and administrative supervision at the hospital, particularly in the neonatal nursery from where the baby was reportedly taken. The incident also triggered protests over what demonstrators described as the Medical Superintendent’s administrative failings, with members of the paramedical staff and other protesters demanding his removal.