Abandoned infant recovers, to be shifted to child welfare centre

Kochi | An infant girl abandoned in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a private hospital here by her parents from Jharkhand one and a half months ago will be shifted to a state-run child welfare centre on Thursday, the health department said.

The girl was abandoned at the hospital by her migrant parents when she was just three weeks old and battling various health issues.

According to a statement issued by Health Minister Veena George’s office on Wednesday, the child—currently undergoing treatment at the Government General Hospital here—is now absolutely healthy.

After receiving treatment for one and a half months, the infant will be handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) on Thursday, it said.

As per the request of the hospital superintendent, George named the child “Nidhi” (treasure).

The 36-week-old baby girl now weighs two and a half kilograms and is able to consume milk like any other infant, the statement further said.

The nurses at the newborn care unit have been taking care of the child in the absence of any relatives.

The baby’s parents, a couple from Jharkhand, were working at a fish farm in Kottayam.

While travelling home for the delivery, the mother developed health issues on a train in February.

She was taken to the nearest hospital, where she gave birth to a baby girl.

Since the baby weighed less than one kilogram, she was moved to the NICU of a private hospital for special care.

Later, the parents went missing. The hospital authorities have been unable to contact them, sources said, adding that the baby was eventually shifted to the general hospital.