Patiala, May 23 -- Doctors at Government Rajindra Hospital on Friday have successfully saved the life of a one-day-old baby girl born with a rare congenital defect that had left a major portion of her food pipe (oesophagus) undeveloped, making her unable to swallow milk or even saliva. Punjab health minister Balbir Singh said the condition posed a severe risk of chest infection and was life-threatening, making immediate surgery necessary. He added that the entire treatment was provided free of cost under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana. Addressing a press conference here on Friday, the minister said the successful surgery reflected the expertise and coordinated efforts of the multi-disciplinary team constituted by the Punjab government to handle complex neonatal surgical emergencies at Rajindra Hospital. The baby, weighing 2.1 kg, was born through a caesarean section at the hospital on April 20. Her parents, Karan Kumar and Neha, residents of Rajpura, had earlier lost two children during pregnancy, making the birth particularly significant for the family. The minister said the congenital defect affects nearly one in every 4,500 newborns in India and survival rates remain low....