MADURAI: The six-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, sheltered at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Institute of Child Health and Research Centre at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH), was shifted to a home in Chennai on Tuesday.
The district administration took the initiative after TNIE carried a news item on the girl, abandoned by one of her relatives on the hospital premises, in the edition dated February 24. She was admitted to the ICU on December 29.
While the nurses bought diapers and brought bags full of clothes from their homes for the girl, the sanitary workers took turns to give her bath. Within days, she became an apple of everyone’s eye.
Having grown fond of the girl, a woman whose grandson was admitted to the ICU for about a month, continued to visit the child regularly and attended to her needs even after her grandson was discharged.
Sources said that citing her cerebral palsy as well as intellectual disabilities, many shelter homes and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) refused to take her in as the district lacks adequate infrastructure and support systems to care for children with the conditions.
At this juncture, State Commissioner for the Welfare of the Differently-Abled Johny Tom Varghese and Collector TG Vinay, who took note of the issue, immediately intervened. Based on the transfer order issued by Madurai district Child Welfare Committee (CWC) on Monday, the district Differently-Abled Welfare Department made arrangements to shift the girl from the hospital to a home meant for persons with severe disabilities at Gerugambakkam, Chennai. The home is being run by an NGO and funded by the Department of Social Welfare.
It turned out to be an emotional moment for a few nurses at the ICU as and water swelled up in their eyes when they handed over the girl to the officials of the district differently-abled welfare department around 7 am.
Sources said that the girl was admitted to the home in Chennai in the evening.