Three abandoned neonates, two among them females have been taken into custody by Lal Ded hospital in the past 10 days – enraging a debate in the institute as well on social media.
A one-day-old baby boy was found abandoned in the premises of the hospital during the intervening night of Tuesday-Wednesday.
“The male baby was found wrapped in a polythene bag in the backyards of the hospital and it came to light after a laboratory assistant heard the newborn’s cries. It attracted his attention,” an employee at LD who is a witness too told Kashmir Post.
He said the lab assistant rushed to the spot and raised alarm as packs of dogs had surrounded the baby with umbilical cord intact macerated by dogs was found.
However, the new-born was immediately taken to hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and is undergoing treatment.
“The baby was bitten by a dog but the injuries are minor. He has been injected anti-rabies injections and stitches and he is normal,” said a female doctor outside NICU wishing not to be named.
Two more new-borns, both females have been abandoned inside the hospital, one on 14 and another on 17 January both during night hours.
“One baby girl was found on hospitals ramp, while another female neonatal was seen just outside labor room. Bother were dehydrated and are being treated here,” said the doctor.
The three incidents which doctors believe are ‘illegal’ have shocked the entire hospital leaving patients, attendants and hospital staff to debate the issue.
“It is shocking authorities must put checks on it so that others learn lessons which could, in the long run, shun the issue. Something needs to be done,” said Bilal who attended her ailing sister.
Medical Superintendent of the hospital Dr. Nazir Ahmad Malik told Kashmir Post that all the three babies were delivered outside LD hospital and were taken to the hospital to dump them secretly.
“Apparently, the babies have been delivered at homes. We have not been able to trace their parents. The newborns have been admitted to NICU and are undergoing treatment. All are well,” he said.
The hospital administration has registered an FIR in Rajbagh police station in this regard.
Dr Nazir said they have also the CCTV footage and had searched in the hospital whether admitted patients had their babies with them at the time when abandoned babies were found.
“The patients had their newborn babies with them which reveals that the babies came from outside the hospital,” he said.
Many netizens took to social media and expressed serious concern over the dumping of legal and illegal babies in the hospital and pitched for the need to address the grave issue.
“Dumping of legal and illegal babies in the back side of LD hospital and some other places has become a great challenge for the society. We need to have Non-Governmental Organizations that can accord and take care of such babies till they are legally adopted,” senior radio broadcaster, Hussain Zaffar wrote in a Facebook post.
Many hailed the efforts of the lab technician but criticized the presence of dogs in the premises of the maternity hospital.
Another netizen wrote: “There is a provision in Juvenile Justice Act regarding the matter, we need to implement those provisions in letter and spirit.”
However, the medical superintendent also said that some people have approached them to adopt the abandoned babies but they need to complete legal formalities.
The largest maternity home has in the past also witnessed such incidents raising eyebrows about the right to live and to be cared for and nurtured before and as well as after birth.
