A newborn, rescued from a garbage bin in Muthialpet earlier this month, was handed over to the Social Welfare Department after treatment at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital.
Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar handed over the baby to Social Welfare Minister V. Saroja on Tuesday. On July 14, police personnel found the newborn abandoned in a garbage bin in Muthialpet, Broadway. The baby was rushed to the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital’s newborn intensive care unit.
The Health Minister said the baby weighed 1.6 kg and was treated for septic shock. He was given milk from the breast milk bank of the Government Raja Sir Ramasamy Mudaliar Lying-in Hospital since the day of admission.
The baby recovered and presently weighs 2 kg.
Up for adoption
The Social Welfare Department gave the baby to a NGO through the District Child Protection Officer.
“The Cradle Baby Scheme was launched in 1991, and we have received a total of 4,120 girls and 1,200 boys. These children were handed over to licensed adoption centres as per Centre and State rules,” Ms. Saroja said.
She said if the parents of the abandoned baby were found and they were willing to take him back, he would be handed over to them. “If not, the baby will be handed over to an adoption agency as per rules,” she said.
There are 36 government-run child care institutions in Tamil Nadu and 152 NGOs supported by the government, she added.
Among others, Jayalakshmi, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime against Women and Children wing, District Child Protection Officer Kalaiarasi and dean of Government Stanley Medical College Hospital P. Balaji were present.
