RAWALPINDI: A newborn baby was kidnapped by an unidentified person from the nursery of Holy Family Hospital (HFH) on Sunday.

Following the incident, a five-member inquiry committee was established by HFH Medical Superintendent Dr Shahzia Zeb who also sought police help to trace the baby.

According to police and HFH officials, the kidnapper entered the hospital’s nursery, lifted the child from the cot, placed a doll in his place and left.

The incident came to light when the infant’s aunt came to the nursery and found a doll lying in her nephew’s cot with a blanket over it.

The officials said the woman had earlier been thinking that the baby might have died as he was not moving, but when she checked, she found her nephew missing.

The baby’s aunt then immediately informed her sister who was in the gynae ward.

Talking to Dawn, Dr Shahzia Zeb said the baby’s mother, Kudrat Bibi, a resident of Kallar Syedan, was brought to HFH where she delivered her baby on Saturday.

She said she was on a routine round in the hospital on Sunday when she came to know about the kidnapping incident.

“I immediately directed the duty staff at the ward and security guards not to leave the hospital and told personnel at the main gates to check any vehicle or person leaving the premises with a newborn,” Dr Zeb said.

She said: “As the newborn was weak, he was shifted to the nursery and was last fed by her mother at 9:30am on Sunday.”

The medical superintendent said when the baby’s aunt came to see him at 12:30pm, she found a doll in the cot and her nephew missing.

Dr Zeb said she had also sought police help.

According to a police spokesman, ASP Binish Fatima and SHO New Town reached the hospital on getting information.

He said evidence was being collected with the help of technical teams and forensic experts and CCTV footage was being reviewed to identify the kidnapper.

A kidnapping case has been registered on the complaint of the baby’s father with New Town police.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2021