By Akinjide Oluwatope
Child abandonment no doubt is on the increase in Nigeria. It is the practice of relinquishing interests and claims over one’s offspring in an illegal way with the intent of never resuming or reasserting guardianship.
But efforts of Ondo state government, health institutions and Non-governments Organizations cannot be over-emphasized in eradicating this social problem.
And this explains why the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), Ondo, Ondo State is currently taking care of an abandoned day old baby.
The teaching hospital received the abandoned baby on October, 2020 and has since been taken good care of the baby.
Mr. Akinyemi Sarumi, the Director of Social Welfare a representative of Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs was invited by the Teaching hospital to take up the continuous medical and social management of the baby.
He appreciated the hospital for the care given to the baby who basically had no chance of surviving, if the hospital had not stepped up into the her situation.
He said the baby would have died if medical social worker department as not being doing their job very well.
Mr. Akinyemi Sarumi encouraged the Teaching hospital to do more in the area of family planning so as to prevent unwanted pregnancy among women especially teenage girls by encouraging them to use contraceptives, to reduce unwanted babies.
Mr. Sylvester Akinjisola, the Medical Social worker in the hospital gave history of the child saying it was a deliberate and premeditated act of the parents of the baby to abandon the child in the hospital ward.
He further said the parents of the child took an excuse to go and offset thier medical bills at account section of the hospital but they never returned.
Dr. Francis Akinkunmi (DMAC) special duties explained that t
medical care of the baby could not have been met without the help of the state government and some NGOs who contributed to making sure the baby is healthy.
Also he described the financial problem facing parent of multiple deliveries in the hospital, saying the hospital will appreciate more financial assistance from individuals and cooperate institutions in this regard.
Akinjide Oluwatope
Head, Media and Publicity
UNIMEDTH.
12th November, 2020
