UNCLAIMED BABY CRIES UNHEARD AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Syed Imran Ali Hamdani (Greater Kashmir)
Srinagar: Unclaimed Baby. These two words have been the identity of this newborn girl as she cries in a cradle at Kashmir’s sole children hospital at Sonawar since the day she was abandoned there last week presumably soon after her birth.
Though medicos caring the baby have been frequently raising this issue on social networking sites like Facebook, practically till now, nobody has come forward on ground. Her cleft deformity, though something fully treatable, is believed to be the cause of her having been abandoned.
The hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Muneer Masoodi said despite repeated efforts nobody came forward to own the infant even as he termed the incident an “alarming situation of dying social and religious values.” “People of this Muslim dominated society are going away from Islam,” he added.
Those witness to bitter cries of the newborn are trying to attract concern through social networking media. Dr Muhammad Salim Khan who works at the hospital had this to post on the Facebook: “Callous Society: It has been 6 days now when a fervent appeal was made for helping her for adoption or personalized care. No one came forward except few media persons who highlighted the plight of the hapless 'orphaned' baby girl and one NGO.”
“How long shall we shun our responsibilities by expressing verbal concerns only? We have more than 5000 NGOs working here, but when it comes to act practically everybody washes hands off. Would she survive with such callous attitude of ours?” he asked.
Concern came but only in comments. Said Gem Khan: “Sir, every moment is a test in one's life from the Almighty Allah. So you need to be enough prudent in your every stride which is related to this beautiful girl child. Be magnanimous in showing your responsibility towards the child, surely Almighty Allah might have a good plan for her betterment and will soon knock your door to take the child back.”
Dr Khan wrote back: “It’s our collective conscience that is loathed by such insensitivity. Let’s hope she gets a warm caring lap soon.”
Tufail Baba another netizen opines that civil society has a role to play. “Why we are asking only for NGOS? Why cannot one of us take the lead. I think we are not worth to call our society an Islamic society and ourselves true Muslims. I pray to Allah to forgive me and all of us and make a suitable arrangement for the poor baby.”
Khalid Hussain a netizen remarked that: “We Kashmiris have this habit of blaming others every now and then. If no one comes forward we can think of other alternatives like donations. Kindly do a favor by opening an account in her name so that donations can be deposited. InshaAllah I will be the first to donate.”
However his suggestion has little takers. “The moment we ask for donations for the baby, scores of pseudo-NGOs will erupt for collecting donations for her name and will swindle and take away the booty for themselves. So no collections till she gets someone to own or adopt,” a medico attending her replied.
According to hospital authorities the baby was left by her parents in the hospital on the morning of September 15. About her facial deformity, the hospital medicos said: “The cleft palate and lip is a birth defect which is 100 percent treatable through plastic surgery and proper management during the treatment.”
A plastic surgeon said that such surgeries are done across the country including Jammu and Kashmir. “Some NGOs are also financing the cleft surgeries,” said a surgeon.
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