Rina Kundu (27), was shown a dead baby even before she delivered a child and was told the baby was hers, her relatives alleged.

The family and friends damaged the hospital property, including cars parked nearby.

The local police had to be called in. The hospital management has also filed an FIR against Rina’s relatives for vandalising the hospital premises.

After being informed of the incident around 2 pm, the state Finance Minister Asim

Dasgupta, also the the governing council chairman of the hospital, arrived at the hospital at 4.20 pm.

He held a meeting with the hospital management and later told the media that a three-member committee will investigate into the matter and submit its report to the health department.

Rina had been admitted to the hospital at 2 am today.

“The medical staff has been completely negligent. Even before the child was delivered, they showed us a dead baby,” said Gauri Kundu, Maran’s sister-in-law.

When her relatives refused to believe the hospital staff, a nurse in the ward clarified that the baby was not Rina’s.

She died at 9.20 am, minutes after her husband, Maran Kundu (35) left after visiting her.

“It is true that a mistake was made and the patient was shown a baby which did not belong to her. But she did not die of medical negligence. It is true that Rina had not delivered a child before she died,” said Dr Utpal Dutta, Principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The hospital, citing the reason of the Rina’s death, claimed that Rina had been brought with a condition of pulmonary edema, and water had collected near her heart, which ultimately led to heart failure.

Gauri Kundu, however, said, “When we wanted to send a deputation to the medical superintendent, claiming medical negligence, he did not meet us.”

On his part, the minister said: “It is important that if any mistake has been made then it should not be repeated in future. Steps will be taken after the report comes in by Monday. I will be involved in the process.”

He met the patient’s family and offered his condolences. He also made sure that the hospital authorities gave a written statement to Rina’s kin stating that it was up to them whether they wanted a post-mortem be conducted on the body. The relatives replied in the negative. They were stranded in the hospital since morning, as the authorities did not release Rina’s body until Dasgupta intervened.

However, the hospital authorities refuted the demands of the relatives and said that the latter will have to give a written undertaking stating that the hospital was not at fault.

“When we did not file a complaint with the hospital superintendent in the first phase, why should we give an undertaking?” questioned Maran’s cousin, Bappa Ghosh.