The Health Ministry has ordered a private medical centre in Jitra, Kedah, to immediately improve its procedures in discharging newborn babies to ensure that 'baby mix-up' cases will not recur.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry would also take action against the medical centre under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 once the investigation on the case was completed.

"The ministry's preliminary investigation found that the reported incident was true and that there were weaknesses in terms of babycare in the post-natal ward, as well as non-adherence of the discharge procedures at the medical centre.

"Although the medical centre had taken steps to resolve the 'baby mix-up' case, the ministry still views the incident seriously," he said in a statement today.

Last Tuesday, a married couple had been shocked when they received a call from the medical centre, informing them that their newborn was swapped with another couple's baby.

The baby - which was the couple's fifth child - was born at 4.04pm on Tuesday, and they were only told of the blunder five hours after taking the baby home.

Dr Noor Hisham said the incident should not have taken place at any private medical facility licensed under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586).

He also reminded all private hospitals to ensure that all mothers and their newly-born babies be given an identification tag or other suitable devices, which contained personal information - including the mother's full name and the baby's date of birth and gender.

"The identification tag must be rechecked during any babycare procedures and before leaving the labour room or post-natal wards," he stressed.

He also expressed hope that a circular issued by the ministry - which encompasses the pre-natal, labour, post-natal and discharge processes - could be adopted by all private hospitals in the country as a guide or reference in ensuring the safety of newborn babies.

- Bernama