Newborn Dies at Punalur Hospital; Family Alleges Negligence, Bribery

Tensions ran high at Punalur Taluk Hospital on Wednesday after a newborn died during delivery early that morning. The infant was the child of Anoop and Sruthi, residents of Punalur. Relatives have accused hospital staff of medical negligence and corruption, while authorities strongly deny any wrongdoing.

Sruthi was admitted for delivery on Monday. Her family maintains she had no underlying health issues at the time. Around 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, however, her condition worsened suddenly, prompting an emergency C-section. After the procedure, the family was told the baby had not survived.

Relatives claim they were not informed before the emergency surgery was performed. They further alleged that the attending doctor had previously accepted a bribe. Hospital administrators, however, said the surgery was necessitated by an umbilical cord prolapse — a critical condition where the cord slips through the cervix ahead of the baby. They insisted there was no delay or lapse in treatment and that standard emergency protocols were followed.

Following the death, family members and local residents staged protests on the hospital grounds. Police from the Punalur station arrived to calm the situation. Officers recorded a statement from the father, Anoop, and registered a case of unnatural death to begin a formal inquiry.

The newborn's body has been moved to Paripally Government Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem to establish the exact cause of death.