The newborn girl, who was found abandoned at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) on Tuesday, might soon get a new home.

The paediatrics department officials said three people came forward to adopt the girl on Tuesday itself, including a PMCH nurse and a social activist, while on Wednesday, a lady from a well-off family, showed interest in adopting the baby girl.

The hospital administration, however, does not want to complete the adoption formalities in haste, as they don't want to take any risk with the life of the baby.

According to PMCH officials, the baby girl, who might be 10 to 15 days old, was found abandoned on the second floor of the Tata ward of the hospital around 9.30am. A Grade-III employee had first discovered the baby crying on the floor. She took the baby with the hope that her family would come soon. However, when no one turned up to claim her, the staff brought her to the paediatrics department in the afternoon. The baby has been under observation in the neonatal intensive care unit (Nicu) of the hospital since.

Paediatrics department health manager Punita Jaiswal, on Wednesday, said: "Not only individuals but government-authorised adoption agencies such as Missionaries of Charity, run by Padri Ki Haveli in Patna City, and Prayas Bharti Trust, have also shown interest in adopting the child. We got a call from both the agencies this morning."

Paediatrics department head Neelam Verma, however, clarified that the hospital superintendent, Lakhendra Prasad, would take the final decision regarding adoption. Prasad was in Muzaffarpur on Wednesday for some personal work. The adoption procedure would only be completed on his return.

Doctors at PMCH said the baby's health had improved.

"On Tuesday when she was brought to the Nicu, she was a little weak. We are constantly monitoring her condition. There has been great improvement in her health," the head of the Nicu, Sheela Sinha, said.

Prayas Bharti wrote a letter to Lakhendra Prasad, on Wednesday, requesting him not to hand over the baby to anyone but government adoption agencies.

"We are sending a letter to the PMCH superintendent, asking him not to give the baby to any individual or family. The baby should be handed over to a government-authorised adoption agency because they follow a process for adoption. We investigate about the family, which would want to adopt the child. Handing over the baby to any individual or family could be dangerous as we can never be sure as to how they would treat the child. The Missionaries of Charity and Prayas Bharti Trust happen to be government-authorised," the president of Prayas Bharti Trust, Suman Lal, said.

Sources in the PMCH said instances such as these have happened earlier on the hospital premises. Lat year, a baby was found abandoned at the gynaecology department of the hospital.