The condition of five-year-old Shafiq, hospitalised after being tortured by his father and stepmother, continues to be critical.
Child Welfare Committee chairman T.G. Gopalakrishnan visited the hospital on Wednesday and collected details from hospital authorities and Childline officials.
He said all efforts would be taken to save the child. On a directive of the District Collector, an expert team from Kottayam Medical College was set to arrive here for providing expert care to the boy. If needed, he would be shifted from the hospital to provide specialised medical care.
A bulletin released by the St. Johns Hospital here, where he is hospitalised, said the boy had mildly responded to medicines and moved his legs. An official of the hospital said it cannot be termed a considerable development as he was still on ventilator support. The sustainability of the response to the medicines was being monitored and a clear picture would emerge only by Thursday. He said further treatment of the child would be based on discussions with the expert team from Kottayam Medical College.
District Collector Ajith Patil, E.S. Bijimol, Roshy Augustine, MLAs, and District Medical Officer P.J. Aloxious visited the boy at the hospital.
Meanwhile, the father and the stepmother of the child, arrested by the Kumily police, were remanded for 14 days by the Peerumade First Class Magistrate Court on Wednesday.
A Childline functionary said the boy had been subjected to ill-treatment and torture for nearly a year-and-a-half by his father Sheriff and stepmother Aneesha. They had shifted from Chenkara to Onnam Mile nearly two months ago.
Sheriff, who had abandoned his former wife, Shafiq’s mother, had remarried Anisha, who had a girl child living at an orphanage run by a madrassa.
A girl child of Sheriff by his first wife was also living at the orphanage.
Sheriff, an ice-cream vendor, had approached the orphanage with a request to take care of the boy. On seeing the child’s wounds, the boy was sent back and orphanage authorities had advised Sheriff to take care of the boy and that he would be admitted after he return to normal health.
All efforts being taken to save the child
Expert medical team to arrive from Kottayam
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