Krishna and Rama were just a day old when their parents abandoned them at the maternity ward of Government Kilpauk Medical College (KMC) Hospital. After spending several days receiving care at the hospital, the two babies got a new home on Monday.
The babies were handed over to a government-recognised NGO, Karuna Prayag Trust at Teynampet, through the social welfare department.
The boy and girl —– Krishna, 59 days old, and Rama, 26 days old — were abandoned by their parents a day after their birth.
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The mothers had normal deliveries but Krishna was a pre-term baby and weighed only 1.25 kg. Today, he weighs 2.75 kg, while the girl weighs three kg.
“The parents of the two babies were from north India. While one of them gave us their address in Madhya Pradesh, the other family gave an address in Kodambakkam. They left the babies on the bed in the maternity ward and disappeared from the hospital,” said R. Narayana Babu, head of department, paediatrics, KMC.
The addresses turned out to be fake.
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The babies were taken care at the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of KMC. “The parents did not turn up after so many days. The babies were given basic care at NICU. Mothers, whose newborns are admitted to NICU, gave their excess milk to feed these two babies,” Dr. Babu said.
The babies were handed over to the NGO in the presence of KMC dean, resident medical officer, police personnel and officials of the social welfare department.
Abandoned newborns are nothing new at the hospital. Last year, three babies were abandoned there, soon after birth.
They were handed over to another government-recognised child care centre, Dr. Babu added.