Vani Vilas, a government hospital located in West Bengaluru, sees an average of 30 babies being delivered everyday. However, after many instances of babies being abducted from the hospital, the administration seems to have placed the onus on mothers to keep their newborns safe rather than improving security measures. TNM visited Vani Vilas Hospital last week and spoke to 10 women admitted in the hospital who had recently given birth. Every single mother confirmed that either the nurses or the security guards had warned them to “hold on to their babies at all times, otherwise they might get kidnapped”.
“So many nurses come in and go; sometimes they take the baby saying they have to conduct tests. How are we to know who is being genuine and who isn’t?” asked Mumtaz, a mother who had recently given birth at the hospital. Lakshmi, another new mother echoing the concerns of several others, said that she was scared of even going to the washroom because someone might kidnap her baby during the short time she was gone.
Shamshun Nissa, a patient’s relative, said that the hospital staff has been warning mothers of kidnappings since more than two years ago when her daughter had given birth at the same hospital. However, nothing has changed in terms of security since then, she added.
Built in 1935, Vani Vilas is attached to Victoria Hospital and Minto Hospital, which began operating in 1900 and 1913 respectively. The hospital, which bears the name of the Maharani Kempananjammanni Vanivilas Sannidhana, was inaugurated by Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar. It is one of the state’s oldest hospitals and research institutions, and also one of the biggest government maternity hospitals.
One of the medical officers present at the hospital admitted that such ‘announcements’ took place routinely at the hospital. Insisting on anonymity, he said, “These are just regular announcements we issue so that parents are careful. Some kidnappings did take place but that was long ago, there haven’t been any cases since. Such announcements take place in every hospital and are not unique to Vani Vilas.”
The most recent kidnapping at Vani Vilas had taken place in November 2020, according to media reports. A woman had allegedly kidnapped a newborn baby girl by pretending to be a relative. The VV Puram police apprehended a group of people for abducting the infant and selling her to a couple for Rs 80,000.
When TNM reached out to the hospital, Medical Superintendent Dr Savitha C, said that they had increased security measures after the reported instances of infant kidnapping in the past. “We have 60-70 CCTV cameras and are planning on installing 60 more, so that every corner in the hospital can be monitored. We have also increased security personnel and do not allow anyone inside without a pass and permit only one visitor at a time,” she said.
TNM could spot CCTV cameras only in a few places at the hospital, however, it could not be verified how many were in a working condition.