Newborn baby declared dead at hospital springs to life on way to funeral

A newborn baby wrongly declared dead has been saved at the last minute after being spotted squirming in a plastic bag en route to the child's funeral.

The boy, who was born premature alongside his stillborn twin, was pronounced dead by a doctor at Max Hospital at Shalimar Bagh, Delhi on November 30 after the child had been placed on life support.

It was only when the family were taking the twins for last rites that they noticed struggling from inside one of the plastic bags their bodies had been placed in.

The twins' grandfather told local media the family rushed the newborn to a nearby hospital where they were told that their baby was still alive.

The private hospital confirmed the incident to the Indian Express, and released a statement saying investigations were now underway.

"We have initiated a detailed enquiry, pending which, the concerned doctor has been asked to proceed on leave immediately," Max Hospital authorities said.

"We are in constant touch with the parents and are providing all the needed support."

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to confirm an investigation was underway while the state Health Minister Satyendar Jain described the incident as "shocking criminal negligence".

Delhi police have also begun investigations into the case and have consulted legal experts.

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Following the incident there has been widespread outrage across India with the quality of private healthcare coming into question.

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