Cradle facility for unwanted infants in Lucknow

Lucknow, June 29 Abandoned infants will now finally have home care as a cradle called 'Palna' has been installed at the Queen Mary’s Hospital of King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow where parents, who choose to abandon their child due to either medical abnormality or social reasons, can leave the infant for better care.

The cradle has been installed near the main gate of the hospital.

Parents can leave their child in the cradle without revealing their identity.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the health portfolio, said that a sensor system has also been put up which will alert the staff within two minutes about the baby.

The infant will then be adopted by the state.

The staff will run medical tests to check the overall well-being of the child and then send the child to the Childline for completion of adoption formalities and allotment of a shelter home.

The move is designed to deter people from abandoning unwanted infants in the open, which endangers their lives.

Pathak has appealed to parents to leave babies in the cradle so that they can be sent for foster care rather than abandoning them if they fail to take care of them for any reason.

He also said that no obstruction will be allowed in the operation of the shelter and the state government will provide everything possible.