Another newborn stolen from RMCH

Yet another newborn was stolen from Rajshahi Medical College Hospital yesterday afternoon due to lax security.

The baby girl's mother is Rubina Begum of Godagari upazila, whose husband Torikul Islam is a farmer, said RMCH Director Brig Gen Nasir Uddin.

Posing as a hospital staff, an unidentified young woman in a veil took the newborn from Rubina's grandmother at ward-22, and immediately left the hospital, he said.

Earlier, a baby was stolen from the RMCH in May 2011 and sold for Tk 4,000. Luckily, she was later rescued in Natore. Another baby was stolen from the same hospital in January 2009, but the infant couldn't be traced.

Yesterday's incident happened moments after the baby was handed over to her family members.

 Torikul said his wife Rubina, who was admitted to the RMCH on Sunday, was taken to the post-operative room after she gave birth to the baby.

He went there to see her, leaving the baby with his grandmother-in-law at the ward.

Rubina's grandmother Rohima Begum said the woman in a veil asked her to bring a piece of cloth to put around the infant.

The woman vanished with the baby in no time, as Rohima turned around to look for a piece of cloth.

Informed by Torikul, the hospital authorities and the police searched for the baby closing all exits. But they couldn't find the woman or the baby.

A five-member committee headed by surgery unit chief Prof Abdul Momen has been formed to investigate the incident, and asked to submit report by January 1.

A number of RMCH staffs said though entry to the hospital is limited to patients' attendants, brokers and cheats are sometimes seen loitering inside the hospital.