Khammam: An eight-month-old girl was found crying alone in a cradle at the Khammam Government Hospital on Thursday, triggering concern and sorrow across the premises. Wrapped in baby clothes, beside a tin of milk powder and a feeding bottle, the child appeared to have been deliberately abandoned.
Staff suspect the baby was left behind by her own mother. She was discovered by a nursing officer on duty, who followed the sound of a baby’s cries to the cradle placed on hospital grounds by the Department of Child Welfare.
The child was sobbing, possibly from hunger, when staff rushed her to the paediatrics ward and began feeding her. With no trace of the parents anywhere nearby, the incident was reported immediately to medical officers and hospital administration. They in turn notified the outpost police.
Officials from the Child Protection Department soon arrived and took custody of the child. According to sources, the cradle contained two cloth bags with baby clothes, powdered milk, and a feeding tin, indicating a planned abandonment.
Town II Police have initiated a probe. Authorities said the child will be transferred to a state-run care home after completing all necessary formalities.