Daltonganj: A stray dog was allegedly seen carrying the remains of a newborn on the Medinirai Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) campus on Tuesday morning, triggering concern among visitors and prompting the hospital authorities to order an inquiry.Hospital officials said the dog was spotted between 9.30am and 9.45am with what appeared to be the remains of a newborn in its mouth. Several visitors and attendants reportedly saw the animal before it disappeared from the area.MMCH medical superintendent Dr Ajay Kumar confirmed the incident and said hospital teams had been asked to trace the dog and check whether any remains were still present on the campus. “Staff from the labour room, paediatric ward and other departments have been asked to remain vigilant,” he said.Hospital authorities said no newborn deaths had been reported in the labour room or delivery ward since Oct 25. They added that two newborns who died in the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) on Oct 25 had been handed over to their families, who later performed the last rites.Mahender, in-charge of the police outpost at MMCH, said they had spoken to the families of the two deceased infants. “Both families confirmed that they had taken the bodies home and buried them as per tradition,” he said.The incident also prompted Palamu deputy commissioner Dilip Pratap Singh Shekhawat and SP Kapil Chaudhary to visit the hospital. They directed officials to tighten surveillance and security on the campus.Hospital officials admitted that the sprawling campus, which has multiple entry and exit points, remains vulnerable to the movement of stray animals.
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