From VIMSAR, rescued baby goes to adoption centre

SAMBALPUR : The baby girl rescued from an abandoned borewell pit in Rengali’s Laripali was discharged from VIMSAR, Burla and handed over to the district child protection unit (DCPU) on Thursday. After her rescue on December 12, the baby named Bijayini has been receiving dedicated medical care at VIMSAR’s special newborn care unit (SNCU) for the last month.

VIMSAR superintendent Lal Mohan Nayak said the baby’s condition improved remarkably during her treatment. Her weight has increased from 1.6 kg to 2.2 kg in the last month and she is free from all infections. “The baby was deemed fit to be discharged after doctors were able to feed her normally. We had to let her go with a heavy heart. But we would keep track of her health and growth besides being available for all sorts of medical emergencies,” Nayak added.

An officer of DCPU Babita Kar said the baby has been sent to the special adoption agency of Rukmini Lath Bal Niketan at Chhachanpali where nurses will take care of her. “As the baby is still in need of special care, the nurses of Bal Niketan have been trained at the hospital. A few guidelines have to followed to ascertain if there are any claimants of the abandoned baby.”

Official sources said the DCPU will publish advertisement in newspapers along with the photograph of the baby girl. If no claimants turn up within 60 days, the baby will be legally free for adoption. The baby was two days old when she was found trapped in the 13-foot-deep borewell pit by villagers. After a marathon operation lasting eight hours, she was rescued from the pit by local fire services personnel and teams of ODRAF and OSAP 2nd Battalion.

Earlier, Sambalpur police had informed that the baby’s biological parents were identified a few days after the incident. Her mother is currently undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack for postpartum depression.