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Facilities at foundling will be improved soon, says Minister

Staff Reporter

Steps to generate more revenue for the State Council for Child Welfare

MOTHERLY GESTURE: Minister for Health and Family Welfare P.K. Sreemathy with the infants and tiny tots at the foundling home of the State Council for Child Welfare on Tuesday. — Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three-year-old Vimal, and two-year-olds Radhakrishnan and Nima were dressed in their best as they awaited the arrival of Minister for Health and Social Welfare P. K. Sreemathy at the foundling home of the State Council for Child Welfare on Tuesday.

When Ms. Sreemathy arrived, all three of them were in front, all smiles and childish exuberance, to hand over rose bouquets to her. None looking at the cherubic trio would have believed that these were abandoned children.

One would hardly recognise Vimal to be the tiny tot who was rescued from the railway station five months ago, battered and bruised, with cigarette burns and gaping knife wounds on his body. Today, he is like any lively three -year-old, curious and full of pranks. However, the scars on his body are a constant reminder about the trauma that this infant has been through.

"It is a strange paradox...that even when there are so many orphaned children around us, there is a long waiting list of childless couples waiting to take a child home. But none are willing to give a home to a child with any physical disabilities. Such children are indeed the Government's responsibility and we will have to find ways to rehabilitate them," Ms. Sreemathy said.

The Minister went round the nursery along with Council's administrator Elizabeth Rozario and was shown many young ones with disabilities whose adoption was an issue that the Council could not resolve. She was also shown scores of babies who had been found abandoned in the `Amma' electronic cradle. As on Tuesday, there are 39 young ones in the foundling home.

Some 60 babies have been found abandoned in the cradle since it was set up in 2002 November.

Ms. Sreemathy said that the Government would take steps to improve the facilities in the foundling home of the Council and develop it as one of the best child welfare institutions. The elections to the Council would be held soon and a popular committee would be put in charge of the administration of the institution.

For the past two years, after the last governing body of the Council was dismissed by the Government over alleged corruption, an administrator appointed by the Government has been in charge of the Council's affairs.

Steps would be taken to boost the Children's Day stamp sales so that the Council can generate more revenue.

Ms. Sreemathy also spoke to the other staff members and childminders in the Council.

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