TN govt hospitals to seek address proof from moms

Alarmed at the increasing number of newborn babies being abandoned at hospitals across the state, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to d...

Alarmed at the increasing number of newborn babies being abandoned at hospitals across the state, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to demand proof of address before granting admissions to maternity wards in government hospitals.

An order issued to deans/heads of government hospitals by Director of Medical Services Dr C. Ravindranth instructs doctors to ask a patient’s relatives to produce ration card as proof of address at the time of registration or before admission.

Advani stresses on implementation to check foeticide

NEW DELHI: Dy PM L.K. Advani on Friday sought effective implementation of laws and proper maintenance of population records to check the growing incidence of female foeticide in certain parts of the country.

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Calling the preliminary findings of the 2001 census as ‘‘very disturbing’’, he said that it ‘‘came as a rude shock to our consciousness…This is a crime against humanity’’.

While inaugurating a conference on ‘‘Chief Registrars of Births and Deaths’’ here, Advani said proper population data will help take remedial action against prenatal sex determination and foeticide ‘‘much in advance’’. (PTI)

‘‘As many as 11 infants were abandoned in two Chennai hospitals alone in the past one year. The figure was the highest in the past three years. The numbers were much higher in district hospitals. Inquiries revealed that in all the cases, the addresses produced by the women were false,’’ Dr Ravindranath observed in his order.

According to the register of RSRM hospital, Tondiarpet, three babies were abandoned there in 1999. Two years later, another child was abandoned at the same hospital. In 2002, six children were abandoned — four of them in December alone — at Government Kilapuk Medical College and five others at the Hospital for Women and Children. All of them were handed over to organisations like the Guild of Service and Karunai Illam.

One baby was abandoned a day after she was born at Kilpauk Medical College by her mother who already had two girls, nearly two weeks ago. Registered only as Vijaya, the woman had twins. One of them was born dead. The next day, leaving the second baby in the hospital, she disappeared. The condition of the infant, known as ‘Baby of Vijaya’, continues to be critical.

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From now on, gynaecologists at government hospitals will also demand proof of address when patients visit them during pregnancy. A record book of the addresses will be maintained by the hospitals.

What driver who took finance ministry officer to hospital said about ‘madam driving BMW’

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A BMW rammed into a motorcycle, killing Navjot Singh, a Finance Ministry official, and injuring his wife. Mohammad Gulfam, a passerby, rushed them to a private hospital after the car driver asked him to. The driver, Gaganpreet Makkar, and her family were also admitted to the same hospital. Police have booked Gaganpreet for culpable homicide and attempting to destroy evidence.

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