Babies are checked by a doctor. Three nurses were fired for negligence after two babies were accidentally switched at birth.

Three non-Saudi nurses have been fired for negligence after two babies were accidentally switched at birth at King Saud Hospital in Qassim.

Qassim’s Health Affairs Directorate issued a statement saying that one of the nurses was found to have had handed an infant to the wrong family after examining the three bracelets placed on the newborns and their feet prints. This was possibly due to the fact that there were two women staying in the same room.

The mother of a newborn infant had doubted it was hers when she was handed a child by one of the nurses.

Authorities formed a committee to investigate the matter. Blood samples were then taken from both families to clear any doubt.

“DNA tests were conducted to ascertain the paternity of each child,” said Bader Al-Shaibani, assistant spokesman for the Qassim police.

“The babies were found to have been switched after being taken out of the nursery. We then re-matched the fingerprints.”

The committee will take legal action once investigation is complete, said the directorate.