HYDERABAD: Five new ‘
Ooyala’ or (cradles) are being set up in government hospitals at Nagarkurnool for dropping unwanted babies. The scheme will be ijmplemented in secrecy, Nagarkurnool collector L Sharman has said.
The idea behind setting up new cradles is to prevent parents from dumping their newborn in bushes, throwing them in nalas or killing them. Parents often tend to take these steps if it is an unwanted pregnancy or because the baby is a female and if the baby was born out of wedlock .
A meeting of officials was held on Thursday on implementing the ‘Ooyala’ scheme.
In a recent incident, a male baby was thrown in the bushes in Nagulagudi, Vikarabad by the mother. Locals who noticed the baby alerted the police and officials on the chidline no. 1098. Childline specialist Dr Shanthappa examined the newborn baby, which weighed only 1.8 kg. The baby was shifted to the district hospital at Tandur for treatment on Wednesday.
The district administration has said that it will take responsibility to take care of the babies and that mothers should not kill their unwanted babies or throw them. After introducing the programme on an experimental basis, it will be extended to other government hospitals too.