Jammu, June 20 — Nearly two years after two newborn girls were unintentionally swapped at Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital in Jammu, DNA testing has confirmed the identities of their biological parents, bringing closure to a case that had stirred confusion and concern.
According to hospital officials, the incident occurred in September 2022 when two baby girls were born — one to a woman from Doda and the other to a migrant labourer’s wife from Chhattisgarh. Both infants were tagged with MRD (Medical Record Department) numbers and moved to the recovery ward with their mothers, following standard hospital protocol.
“Despite proper tagging, it appears the confusion happened during feeding time when the attendants — likely unaware — mistakenly swapped the babies,” said an SMGS hospital official. “We have submitted the full records and documentation to the police during the investigation.”
The mix-up went unnoticed at first, but months later, the Doda family began suspecting something was wrong. “The baby girl with them had a noticeably different complexion,” the official said. Concerned, the family filed a formal complaint and requested DNA profiling to confirm parentage.
Following the complaint, police launched an investigation and traced the second family to Chhattisgarh. DNA samples were collected from both families and the two infants. The forensic reports ultimately confirmed that the babies had indeed been exchanged at birth.
The revelation prompted the hospital and police to coordinate efforts to reunite each child with her biological parents. Officials did not comment on whether legal action would follow, but confirmed the matter had now been resolved.
“It was an unfortunate incident, but we are relieved that the truth has come to light and the babies are now with their real families,” the hospital official added.
