Cradles for abandoned kids in hospitals

IN pursuance of a central government mandate, the Women and Child Welfare Department has launched a programme to install special cradles in maternity wards of government hospitals, district headquarters hospitals, and Shishu Gruhas (children's homes) state wide.

- A SESHACHARYULU @Nalgonda

This initiative seeks to protect abandoned infants, especially girls, who are frequently left in hazardous locations due to being born out of wedlock, from illicit relationships, or because parents are unwilling to raise a female child.

The central government has observed a troubling pattern of newborns being discarded in drains, dustbins, and roadside bushes, often resulting in death due to exposure or attacks by stray animals and venomous creatures.