Scammed! From birth to death

The birth and death certificates scam that happened under the nose of the GHMC that was unearthed recently has shown the vast magnitude of the ramifications a single thoughtless procedural ‘amendment’ can have

On April 12, 2022, Mamatha gave birth to a baby at the Government Maternity Hospital, Nayapul. She and her husband Narasimhulu had not yet decided on the name of the baby, so hospital records left the column blank.

A few months later, an application was filed in one of the Mee Seva centres in the city for the issue of a birth certificate for the baby under the name Manleen Kaur. The certificate was issued promptly, without any doubts being raised about how the daughter of Narasimhulu and Mamatha could be named after a Punjabi Sikh maiden honorific.

Later, another application was filed seeking corrections in the names of the parents. Mamtha and Narsimhulu were replaced by Sardarni Kaur and Sardar Bhagat Singh. The application had to be mandatorily approved by the Registrar of Births and Deaths, the designated Assistant Medical Officers of Health (AMOH) serving in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), and it got approved; no questions asked!

A baby named Manleen Kaur with Bhagat Singh and Sardarni Kaur as parents had officially taken birth in the GHMC records, even before Narasimhulu and Mamatha, the original parents could apply for a birth certificate for their baby born in Nayapul Government Maternity Hospital.

Thanks to a whistle-blower, the GHMC authorities got a whiff of the serious irregularity and started a probe which opened a can of worms.

As per the procedure in place for the issue of birth/death certificates, the hospital generates a birth event and shares it online, which is accessed by the Mee Seva centre for the issue of an instant birth certificate in case the parents apply within one year. However, the parents will have to provide documentary proof of the birth of the child.

Secondly, any correction in the certificate needs to be physically approved by the AMOH of the respective circle.