By IANS,
Noida : A private hospital here has refused to hand over a newborn to its mother after she failed to pay the amount charged for delivery and a month of hospital care, police sources said Wednesday.
Lakshmi Rani, a seven-month pregnant woman, came to the Jai Prakash Hospital in Bhangel area for abortion in early July, according to the sources. But hospital authorities reportedly advised her to go ahead with the delivery as it was too late for an abortion and assured her that they would take care of the child if she could not afford to do so, the police sources said.
Lakshmi is said to have agreed to the delivery after the hospital said it would charge her only Rs.2,000. She gave birth to a baby boy, paid the hospital and left, they said.
But a month later, Lakshmi returned to the hospital, asking for her child. Hospital staff then asked her to shell out Rs.12,000 as the nurses had looked after the baby for a month. They refused to hand over the child until she paid up, the police sources said.
While Lakshmi complained to the police about the incident, her current whereabouts are not known.
Hospital authorities were unavailable for comment as the police were inquiring into the case.