Jagatsinghpur: The district administration has installed baby cradles at the District Headquarters Hospital here as cases of abandonment of newborns continue to rise.

The administration has put in place a cradle on an experimental basis so that parents could leave their newborns safely while keeping their anonymity.

The objective of the scheme is to save the deserted babies, who are mostly at left at spots far from human activities.

"Exposed to the open air, most of these newborns often die. We hope that the cradle scheme would help save precious lives of abandoned newborns," said district collector Yamini Sadangi.

"The cradle for abandoned babies has been introduced in accordance with guidelines under the Centre's Integrated Child Development Scheme. Installing cradles to keep the babies does not mean that the administration is sanctioning the abandonment of unwanted children. Babies abandoned in dustbins, bushes, and fields are exposed to fatal infections and die. There are instances of stray animals feasting on them as well. The cradles are a temporary remedy to save these lives," she said.

Sadangi said the cradle was installed at the hospital on Saturday. So far, it has yet to be put in use. The administration also plans to expand the scheme in other government-run health centres in the district.

"The hospital staff members have been directed to make periodic rounds of the cradle. If a newborn is spotted, it would be rushed to the neonatal care unit and given medical check-up. Once the medical attention phase is over, the baby will be handed over to the child welfare committee in accordance to the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act," said child protection officer Udayanath Swain.

"The commission is authorised to shift the babies to government-funded short stay baby care homes. Later, these babies would be put up for adoption by childless couples."