Hapur, May 9 (IANS): A probe has been ordered after a prematurely born baby, declared dead and thrown into a dustbin soon after delivery at a private hospital here, was found alive by the family.

The baby boy's father, Abdul Bhatin, said, "Our boy was born five months premature. We were told that he did not survive and was thrown into a dustbin where he kept lying for hours. Only after persistent requests, he was handed over to us wrapped in a sheet. Moments before the funeral, we were shocked to see the baby's hands move and immediately rushed him to a nearby hospital from where the doctors referred him to a higher medical centre in Meerut."

On Sunday, Nazma Khan, 38, had complained of abdominal pain when she visited the doctor at the Hapur hospital, and a senior doctor suggested immediate delivery.

The baby boy is her sixth child, born after five daughters.

Nazma, who is in hospital, claimed, "My child was thrown in the dustbin. No health staff was present there to pick him up. Doctors said the baby was already dead."

Her sister Momina added, "On our way to the burial ground, we all were surprised to find the 'dead' child breathing. The baby is now undergoing treatment at a different health centre and his mother has not been discharged yet from the Hapur hospital."

Hapur chief medical officer Dr Sunil Kumar Tyagi said, "We have ordered a team from the district health department to probe the matter. Action will be taken against the private hospital if found guilty."