Abandoned by parents, 77 infants get new life under cradle scheme in Rajasthan

Abandoned by their parents, 77 newborns have got a fresh shot at life courtesy a government scheme that allows people to put unwanted infants in cradles installed at hospitals across the state.

“Seventy-seven newborn babies, including 47 girl children, who were abandoned just after their birth and would have died have been saved in Rajasthan in the period March 2016 to October 2017,” Devendra Agarwal, state advisor to the government of Rajasthan for Aashray Paalna Sthal Yojana, said.

Chief minister Vasundhara Raje announced, in her 2015-16 budget speech, the Aashray Paalna Sthal Yojana to install cradles at all the government medical colleges, district hospitals, sub-district hospitals and satellite hospitals. At present, 68 such cradles are functional across state.

There had been instances in the past when unwanted infants were thrown away in dustbins, bushes, rivers, dirty ponds, slimes, wells where they died an untimely death. Also, babies were often abandoned at bus stands, railway stations or other such places where they would end up in the wrong hands. It was with a motive to curb such incidents that the government came up with the cradle scheme.

“Rajasthan is the first state to bring about the concept of Paalna Sthal in such a manner at all the government hospitals. Rajasthan is the only state to give the ‘Right to Survive and Prosper’ to all the (so called) unwanted newborns,” Agarwal said.

He said those seeking to give away unwanted newborns can place the child at the cradles located in the hospital premises and walk away unquestioned. Three minute after a baby is placed in the cradle, a bell rings intimating the hospital staff. These cradles are powered with a battery and an inverter so that they work uninterrupted round-the-clock and throughout the year.

The hospital staff shifts the child to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where, the medical care of the baby is immediately started.

After the child recovers and is declared medically fit, it is shifted to the nearest government recognised shishu griha (child home). A ‘Bench of Magistrates’ then initiate the formalities to declare the child legally free for adoption.

Later, the district court, according to the legal procedure, releases the order for adoption of these babies.