The Koshi Hospital in Biratnagar has formed a three-member probe committee under the coordination of paediatrician Dr Prawin Jha to investigate an incident involving medical health workers declaring an infant who was alive, dead.

On Wednesday morning, an 18-day-old infant of Bhatigachi in Jahada Rural Municipality in Morang district was brought to the hospital after having difficulties in breathing. The girl infant was taken to the emergency room where the hospital’s medical officer Dr Akash Yadav along with assistant health workers Tika Bhandari and Laxman Majhi pronounced the infant dead. The trio told the infant’s parents that the child had stopped breathing and her heart had stopped working, declaring the infant dead.

However, after some time, while the medical workers were examining the infant, she started moving and crying. This led to a physical altercation between the family of the child and the attending medical personnel including Yadav.

On Thursday, the hospital administration formed a probe committee under Jha with members Dr Suryakant Chaudhary (paediatrician) and Hospital Administration Officer Ram Prasad Nepal.

Committee member Nepal, who is also the information officer at the hospital, said that the committee has been given a week’s deadline to submit the probe report.

Meanwhile, Dr Yadav and assistant health workers Bhandari and Majhai, who declared the child dead, have been asked to furnish clarification within 24 hours and have been suspended from work until the investigation committee submits its report.

The infant, who was declared dead, is undergoing treatment in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Golden Hospital.