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
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