BUKIT MERTAJAM: Baby hatch, where parents can leave infants for adoption anonymously, is aimed to reduce rising gruesome baby dumping cases in Malaysia and save the lives of innocent newborn babies.
KPJ Penang Specialist Hospital chief executive officer Abd Aziz Abd Rahman said many people still opted to throw unwanted babies in trash bins, toilet bowls, drains or lavatories despite baby hatches being made available.
“Dumping baby is one of the easiest ways by a couple who commits adultery and illegitimate pregnancies in this modern life, but they must not dump in disgusting areas.
“Many are still not aware of baby hatch places amid phobias and panic thus throwing the baby in trash bin. The spirit of having a baby hatch is to help save babies’ lives,” he told reporters here yesterday.
According to Abd Aziz, a baby hatch was opened in KPJ Penang last year but had yet to receive any baby due to a lack of awareness of such a service, adding that the act of leaving a baby in the hatch was not a criminal offence.
Hence, he hoped illegitimate newborns could be left in a safe environment, saying they did not ask to be born, but nevertheless had the right to live.
Currently, nine KPJ hospitals offer baby hatches out of its 26 network namely in KPJ Tawakkal (Kuala Lumpur), KPJ Seremban, KPJ Ipoh, KPJ Johor, KPJ Kuantan, KPJ Penang, KPJ Perdana (Kota Bharu), KPJ@Damai (Kota Kinabalu) and KPJ Kuching.
Abd Aziz said seven babies were saved by baby hatches at nine KPJ hsopitals since it was launched in 2010 by the non-governmental organisation, OrphanCARE Foundation.
He said KPJ has an integrated standard operating procedure for managing of the baby hatch in collaboration with OrphanCARE, including lodging a police report within 24 hours after the incidence report was made to OrphanCARE.
Abd Aziz said the baby would then be released to police, OrphanCARE and representatives of the Social Welfare Department for future adoption which had a long waiting list. — Bernama