Cuttack, Feb. 12: Activists of an NGO rescued a girl child, who was allegedly abandoned by her parents at SCB Medical College and Hospital, here today.

An attendant spotted the one-and-a-half-year-old girl from near the hospital’s anti-rabies vaccination clinic around 10.30am.

“I had come to the hospital to get the anti-rabies vaccine for one of my relatives when I saw the girl sitting on the veranda. The girl was crying. So, I took her to medical police outpost to seek assistance in searching her parents,” said Sagar Adhikari.

Adhikari said it was suspected that the child’s parents deserted her because of financial or other trouble. Later, officials of Child Line, the NGO that works for children in distress, rehabilitated her at Basundhara orphanage after a medical check-up at the hospital.

“Today, the SCB superintendent wrote a letter to Child Line for urgent steps to rehabilitate the girl, who was abandoned at the hospital,” said Child Line co-ordinator Narayan Shukla.

However, many people, who were present on the spot, expressed their willingness to adopt the abandoned child.

“I do not have any child of my own. Hence, I have already asked the officials to hand over the girl to me if there are no claimants of the baby,” said Minu Ghose, another attendant.

Earlier, twin girls were rescued after they were abandoned in a carton box at Cuttack railway station in November 2011. The girls, who have been named Sudha and Dhara, are being raised at Basundhara.

A newborn girl was rescued from Tangi-Choudwar on May 30 — a day after another baby girl was abandoned by her parents at Sishu Bhavan on May 29 last year.

“The twin girls along with other rescued babies have been rehabilitated at Basundhara and steps are being taken for their care. An inquiry by local police is on, and soon after the completion of the investigation, the babies will be free for adoption,” said Child Welfare Committee member Rini Mohanty.