SAMBALPUR: In the wake of recovering a newborn from a ‘Cradle Baby Point’ at Sambalpur district headquarters hospital this month, the district administration is planning to expand the initiative in the district and also take up awareness drives to sensitise people about it.
Seven more cradles will be set up at different places in the district soon. The cradle baby points were started in the district under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme of Women and Child Development department. Rukmini Lath Bal Niketan at Chhachanpali was nominated as the Specialised Adoption Agency (SAA) or reception centre for coordinating with all the cradle points in the district.
While the first cradle point was set up at the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) in November 2017, subsequently nine other points were set up at Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres in Laida, Kuntara, Pharsimal, Debeipali, Charmal Naktdeul and sub-division hospitals in Kuchinda and Rairakhol.
Recently on October 11, a new born baby girl was found at the cradle point in Sambalpur DHH. At present the child is under the care of the SAA and after nearly two months, she will be legally free for adoption as per Adoption Regulations, 2017.
The children rehabilitated by SAA are categorized as abandoned, orphaned and surrendered. While the babies left at these cradle point are considered as surrendered, those dumped recklessly at unsafe places and rescued later are known as abandoned babies.
Most of the times, newborn babies are abandoned for various reasons including gender discrimination. Moreover, many unwed mother usually abandon their babies due to social stigma. The abandoned babies are found dumped at unsafe and vulnerable places like trash cans, bush and desolate places which often leads to death of infants.
The biological parents dump the baby at unsafe places instead of handing over them to social agencies because they don’t want their identity to be revealed. Although, in case of cradle baby points, the identity of the parents is never inquired, but since most of the people are still unaware of the existence of the cradle points, cases of abandonment continue to grow.
However, after the recent recovery, the Women & Child Development department along with Mission Shakti are planning to launch awareness drive for the purpose. District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) Suchismita Pattnaik said, “ASHA and anganwadi workers will be designated to sensitise people about the need for surrendering disowned babies at the cradle points.”
Taking care of the abandoned
The cradle baby points were started in the district under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme of Women and Child Development department
On October 11, a newborn baby girl was found at the cradle point in Sambalpur DHH
Most of the times, newborn babies are abandoned for various reasons, including gender discrimination
Many unwed mothers usually abandon their babies due to social stigma