Expert panel to probe decapitation incident at Kancheepuram Primary Health Centre

CHENNAI: After a preliminary inquiry, the State Health department has constituted an expert committee to investigate the incident in which a stillborn baby’s head got separated from body at an Additional Primary Health Centre in Kancheepuram district recently.

Forensic officials in the Chengalpet Government Medical College Hospital completed postmortem on the baby and submitted the report to the police last week. However,  Health department officials claimed they were yet to receive the report. The department, however,  has subsequently constituted the expert committee to investigate the incident in detail.

Speaking to Express, an official said, “We have constituted an expert committee to investigate the case in detail. Even if it was ‘stillborn,’ we should investigate in detail and analyse the causes, just to avoid such mistakes in future,” the official said.

However, the officials denied disclosing details of the postmortem report.It may be noted that immediately after the baby was decapitated, the Health department sent a team to Chengalpet to look into the incident. The team said that it looked like a ‘stillborn’ baby almost decayed in womb that resulted in decapitation. A staff nurse at the Additional Primary Health Centre in Koovathur allegedly separated the head of the stillborn baby while attending to T Bommi, a 20-year-old pregnant woman from a village near Cuddalore in Kancheepuram district.

Following the incident, the State Health department had ordered all doctors to be present at Primary Health Centres during deliveries. Though doctors would be on duty at Additional Primary Health Centres from 9 am to 4 pm, the department had instructed them to be present at these centres on call duty during deliveries.