All in a day’s work: Doctor delivers 15 babies

KOLKATA - A gynaecological surgeon of Kolkata created a record of sorts by successfully performing 12 caesarean operations in a single day to deliver 15 babies.

Gautam Khastgir, a consultant gynecological surgeon and infertility specialist, performed all the deliveries Oct 10 in a span of 10 hours, resulting in the birth of 15 babies as three mothers gave birth to twins.

“It is not that it was October 10 that’s why so many deliveries took place. It was just a coincidence. But all the deliveries were done according to their time. Although few patients pressed on the point that their babies be delivered on October 10,” Khastgir said Wednesday while attending a thanksgiving ceremony by some of the mothers who were successfully operated by him on that day.

“We are particularly glad that this incident happened in the year when the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to professor Robert Edwards, the pioneer of test tube baby,” said Khastgir.

Robert Edwards, a British biologist, was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the development of in-vitro fertilization. Some of the mothers who were present in the ceremony were overwhelmed as their babies were born on 10.10.10.

“I am overwhelmed that both of my babies were born on 10.10.10. This day comes once in a millennium,” said Sarbina Mondal, who gave birth to twins.

“Actually my date of delivery was Oct 11 but I requested the doctor to do the operation Oct 10 as I was having some complications,” said Kuheli Dasgupta, one of the mothers.

“This day 10.10.10 has a profound astrological significance. I am very happy that I could give birth to my baby child on this day,” said Sarawati Saha, one of the mothers.

According to Khastgir, the babies delivered Oct 10 are all keeping fine.