Patna: The state health department will frame stricter rules for the entry of visitors into special newborn care units (SNCUs) in govt hospitals, allowing access only to those carrying valid entry cards and only during designated time slots. The move follows a recent newborn theft at Patna Medical College and Hospital, where a baby was stolen from the maternity ward on Feb 23 and recovered later the same day.Health secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh asked officials concerned to draft tighter entry norms with special focus on SNCUs, where newborns are kept under medical care after delivery. He also instructed hospitals to ensure adequate CCTV coverage and monitoring, particularly in SNCUs and maternity wards, which officials consider vulnerable to such incidents.Singh said medical colleges, hospitals and district hospitals would be instructed to fix specific visiting hours and strengthen vigilance during those periods. He said the visitor card system is being introduced in govt hospitals.In the PMCH case, a male newborn was stolen within hours of birth earlier this week. The accused woman was identified with the help of CCTV footage and later caught within hours. She told investigators she took the step after being taunted for remaining childless three years into her marriage.PMCH has reported a similar incident earlier. In May 2024, a 12-day-old male child was stolen from the same department while the mother was in the ICU. The baby, born to a couple from Vaishali, was later recovered from a rented accommodation in the Rajapir Pul locality.Newborn thefts have also been reported from other govt hospitals in Bihar, with officials and doctors noting that in most cases the targeted child has been male. In Sept 2024, a newborn boy was stolen from the SNCU of Begusarai Sadar Hospital about 24 hours after birth. CCTV footage showed a woman entering the unit, wrapping the baby in cloth and leaving. The case later indicated the involvement of local staff.In Dec 2025, a male newborn was stolen from the SNCU of Supaul Sadar Hospital. The baby had been admitted soon after birth due to health complications and was taken from the unit after three days.Former PMCH superintendent Dr Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said most cases involve male infants, citing social preference for sons. He said couples without children sometimes resort to theft due to lack of awareness about adoption procedures or reluctance to undergo the process, which is difficult. He also said some cases involve organised gangs that supply stolen newborns to couples for money, and that hospital staff involvement has been found in certain incidents.
