KUCHING, Oct 4: Minister of Women, Children, and Community Well-being Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah has expressed her gratitude to the management of Borneo Medical Centre (BMC) here for accepting the ministry’s challenge to establish a baby hatch.
Fatimah emphasised that BMC’s baby hatch facility is a timely initiative that provides essential support in addressing the issues of baby abandonment and teenage pregnancy in Sarawak.
“We applaud BMC for their corporate social responsibility (CSR) project in supporting the efforts of the Sarawak government and the Ministry in creating an effective social support system for pregnant teenagers to save unwanted babies,” she said.
These comments were made during the launch of the baby hatch facility at BMC.
Fatimah also noted that the first baby hatch facility in Sarawak was established by KPJ Kuching Specialist Hospital in January 2017.
“Since its establishment, a total of five babies have been rescued, with four babies found alive and one baby found deceased. However, the baby hatch at KPJ Kuching has been temporarily suspended due to the hospital’s relocation to a new building,” Fatimah explained.
Babies left at the baby hatch will undergo immediate health examinations by a pediatrician if they are alive.
Subsequently, they will be handed over to Kuching General Hospital and the Social Welfare Department for further action.
“A baby hatch is a last resort adopted by many states and hospitals to reduce cases of baby dumping, offering a safe option for mothers to leave their newborn babies,” Fatimah concluded.
The event was attended by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women, Childhood, and Community Well-being Noriah Ahmad and BMC Kuching chairman Dr John Chew Chee Ming. — DayakDaily
