LUCKNOW: State government's much hyped policy of "Sarvjan Sukhay and Sarvjan Hitay " does not seem to have any space for mentally retarded destitute. In the absence of any shelter home for such people, a mentally retarded woman, who got pregnant after being raped, was forced to deliver a baby on a roadside in the city, managing all alone, unattended and without any safety measure.
The shocking incident was reported from Khurramnagar on Wednesday. When tea vendor, Mukhtar, came to his shop in the morning, he heard a baby crying. He saw an infant lying on the pavement wrapped in blood and placenta, while the infant's mentally challenged mother sat beside motionless. Mukhtar rushed to the nearby Relite Hospital and informed doctors who sent a nurse to bring along the mother-child duo to the hospital. The nurse detached the umbilical cord, but when she asked the woman to come to the hospital, she walked away leaving behind her baby boy. The baby was brought to the hospital where he was examined and vaccinated. Later, Dr Azam Ali from the hospital called up Childline (phone number 1098) which brought the newborn to Rajkiya Shishu Grih at Prag Narain road. Superintendent of Shishu Grih, Jaipal Verma, has given directions for proper care of the baby, who, at present is being spoon fed. "Thank God, he survived. It's only a wonder that the woman gave birth all on her own. The baby was found timely or else he could have fallen pray to street dogs," said Varsha Sharma, coordinator, Childline, while holding the baby in her lap whom she has named Saksham. Locals in Khurramnagar said the mentally challenged woman used to roam around and hurl abuses at people. Even the police were informed several times but nothing was done, they added. Saksham is 25th newborn to be found abandoned in the city in last one year, of which 22 were girls and three boys. This year alone, four babies have been found since January -- two girls and two boys. Of these, a boy died as he was seriously ill, while a baby girl, only five days old when found, is being treated for septecimia. While the encouraging part is that most of the abandoned babies either have been adopted or are in the process of adoption , Saksham's case has come as a rude jolt to the government. This is not the first time that a mentally challenged woman destitute was raped in the city and forced to deliver a baby on the roadside. Last year too, a mentally retarded woman with a baby was admitted in the Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University by a group of police officers who work voluntarily for the cause. But there is no government set up for such people. For over one lakh mentally retarded children in the state, there are only two government shelter homes, one for boys in Allahabad and another for girls in Bareilly, with a capacity of 50 each. There is no shelter home for mentally challenged adults. After TOI highlighted lack of facilities for mentally retarded people in the state, the UP Human Rights Commission issued a notice to the state government on January 18. But so far, the government has taken no initiative on the issue. "While the government splurges crores on security and personal comfort of politicians and parks, it has not even a penny to spare for mentally retarded destitute," said Rajiv Nath, a social activist. People, he said, are also to be blamed as they have not mounted any pressure on the government and their representatives to construct a shelter home. At least, he added, funds can be easily provided for a home through MLA/MP fund. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Lucknow/Mentally-challenged-woman-delivers-baby-on-roadside/articleshow/4225527.cms Easy tips of improving English at http://shadablucknow.blogspot.com/ My contributions to the press http://shadablucknow.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-contributions-to-press.html#link Many posts on one page http://shadablucknow.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=47 To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
