MIRPURKHAS, July 17: A senior gynaecologist and four paramedics of a private hospital have been booked on charge of negligence, which allegedly caused the death of a newborn baby on Saturday night.

The baby’s relatives attacked the hospital, ransacked furniture and assaulted the staff. Later, the baby’s father Javed Ali Leghari lodged a case against Dr Qamarunnisa and four staff members of the hospital.

Dr Qamarunnisa told this correspondent that Mrs Javed Leghari was her regular patient. She was brought to the hospital two hours late.

The delay caused complications in delivery. The newborn was hardly breathing because of water in his lungs and did not survive although oxygen had been timely provided, she said.

The administrator of the hospital, Yasir Iqbal, and staff members said that all facilities were available at the hospital. The baby’s relatives, they said, attacked and assaulted the staff without any reason.

They alleged that District Health Officer Hanif Baloch visited the hospital after the attack and threatened the staff of dire consequences and took away the hospital’s record.

The general secretary of the Pakistan Medical Association’s Mirpurkhas chapter Dr Shamsul Arifeen condemned the attack on the hospital and registration of what he called a false case against the doctor and staff.

The baby’s father Javed Leghari rejected allegations of the hospital staff and said he or his relatives did not attack the medical centre nor manhandled the staff.