Thursday, July 5, 2012

All government hospitals may soon function as baby hatches

PETALING JAYA: All government hospitals may soon be able to function as “hatches” for unwanted babies once a standard operating procedure is put in place. Women, Family and Community Development Ministry deputy secretary-general Harjeet Singh said that discussions were being held with the Health Ministry to introduce an SOP so that all government hospitals could have a mechanism to receive the babies.
He said the plan was in its preliminary stages, and a workshop would likely be held by the end of this year to come up with the SOP. “This would mean that there would be more places where people could send unwanted babies,” said Harjeet after launching the “Say No to Baby Dumping” seminar here.
There are now two baby hatches in the country one operated by OrphanCARE (a non-governmental organisation) in Petaling Jaya and another in Ipoh by the KPJ Ipoh Specialist Hospital. Harjeet said the ministry has also initiated many programmes to help young mothers with unwanted pregnancies.
One support programme is the Talian Nur helpline (15999) and the venues offering assistance are Nur Sejahtera clinics and welfare department offices at state and district levels.
“Our message to mothers who need help is don't throw the baby away,” said Harjeet, adding that there are 55 welfare institutions, 104 district welfare department offices, and 56 Nur Sejahtera clinics that are ready to help care for the babies. Of the 31 cases of baby-dumping so far this year, 10 babies have survived while 19 died.
“The status of the remaining two babies has yet to be confirmed by the hospitals,” Harjeet said.

THE STAR ONLINE

No comments: