Only one cradle baby centre so far in Karnal district

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, February 9

Despite the directions of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2014, only one childcare institution has started the facility of ‘palna ghar’ — cradle baby centre — in Karnal district.

The Centre had directed all states to ensure installation of cradle baby centre outside childcare institutions and government hospitals providing health services 24X7 to encourage parents to drop their babies in cradle and not abandon or kill them. Later, the Department of Women and Child Development, Haryana, issued the same directions and asked district child protection officers to install them under contingency funds, said sources.

In Karnal, there are four childcare institutions and nine government hospitals, one civil hospital, two subdivisional hospital and six CHCs. But this facility was started only at MDD, Bal Bhawan, on November 14, 2014. The lone ‘palna ghar’ has received 14 children, including 12 girls.

“Under this project, a cradle is placed outside the gate of the compound. Sensors are installed in the cradle and whenever someone drops child into it, it sounds an alarm, besides sending a call automatically to the phone number fed in it,” he added. “We have so far received 14 children at this ‘palna ghar’,” said PR Nath, founder-general secretary of MDD, Bal Bhawan.

Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, said, “I have conducted a meeting of office-bearers and the health authorities to ensure the installation of childcare institutions outside government hospitals. At PHCs, display boards and hoardings will be erected displaying message regarding ‘palna ghar’ at the CHC level.”

Reena Rani, District Child Protection Officer, admitted that they had received the directions, but no budget. “Now the DC has asked us to install them outside childcare institutions and CHCs and we will do so,” she added.

Dr Ashwani Ahuja, Civil Surgeon, said they would provide space at the civil hospital and childcare institutions for cradles, which would be provided by the Department of Women and Child Development.

Central govt initiative

• In 2014, the Centre had directed all states to ensure installation of cradle baby centre outside childcare institutions and government hospitals providing health services 24X7
• This step was initiated to encourage parents to drop their babies in cradle so that they did not abandon or kill them
• Under this project, a cradle is placed outside the gate of the compound
• Sensors are installed in the cradle and whenever someone puts a child into it, an alarm goes off and a call is initiated to a pre-fed phone number