Kerala govt steps in to protect 23-day-old baby abandoned by Jharkhand couple

A 23-day-old abandoned baby girl in Kerala will receive government protection as authorities seek to care for her after her parents went missing

A 23-day-old baby girl, abandoned in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a private hospital in Kochi by her parents from Jharkhand, will receive protection of the Kerala government. State Minister for Health, Women, and Child Development, Veena George on Friday directed the Women and Child Development Department to take urgent action.

The Kerala government will provide protection to a 23-day-old girl who was left in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a private hospital here by her Jharkhandi parents. (Unsplash/representative)

According to an official release, officials will visit the hospital and make further arrangements. "If the parents return, the baby will be handed over to them. If they do not want custody, the Child Welfare Committee will take legal steps to care for the child," it said.

The Ernakulam General Hospital Superintendent has been asked to ensure proper medical treatment for the baby. 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.

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 a private hospital's NICU for special care. Later, the parents went missing. The hospital authorities have been unable to contact them.