Bidar
Mamata Cradles will be established at government hospitals, bus stands and railway stations across Bidar district to provide a safe shelter for abandoned newborn babies, Deputy Commissioner Shilpa Sharma said.
Speaking after inaugurating a Mamata Cradle at BRIMS Hospital in Bidar on Sunday, the Deputy Commissioner said that children are the greatest asset of the nation and protecting their lives is a responsibility of society.
She expressed concern over incidents of newborn babies being abandoned in garbage bins, fields and hospital premises, which have resulted in tragic deaths in several cases, including incidents reported from Hulsur and Humnabad taluks.
Shilpa Sharma said the Mamata Cradle initiative has been introduced to provide an alternative for people who are unable to care for newborns, ensuring that every child gets an opportunity to survive and grow in a safe family environment.
“Instead of abandoning a child, people should ensure that the child gets a chance to live. The objective of the Mamata Cradle programme is to protect infants and provide them with proper care and support,” she said.
Speaking at the programme, Gurubasava Pattadevaru of Bhalki Math said that the Bhalki Hiremath Institution has been running a Special Adoption Centre since 2010. He stressed that every child has the right to life and appealed to the public not to abandon infants.
He urged people facing difficulties in raising children to place them safely in Mamata Cradles, where they can receive medical care, protection and the possibility of being placed in a family through legal adoption procedures.
District Child Protection Officer Sharada N. Kalmalakar said Mamata Cradles will be installed at all taluk hospitals, bus stands and railway stations across Bidar district within a week.
BRIMS Director Dr. Shantala Koujalagi, Dr. Shivayogi Bali, Dr. Ahmed, Dr. Uma Deshmukh and Dr. Sanjukumar Biradar were present during the inauguration programme. The initiative aims to prevent infant abandonment and ensure every newborn receives care, dignity and a chance at life.