Newborn baby girl rescued from a garbage dump in Delhi
A newborn baby girl was rescued from a garbage dump in southwest Delhi and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital here, an official statement issued on Saturday said.
The baby, whose umbilical cord was attached, had been exposed to the rain, was extremely weak and in a hypothermic state, according to doctors at the Fortis Hospital in Vasant Kunj.
The baby was discovered from the Harijan basti at Rajokri village here and shifted for treatment to the emergency unit of the hospital by the local police, it said.
Two passerby discovered the baby and alerted the police, the hospital said.
The baby is currently in the neonatal Intensive Care Unit in a serious condition and is being assessed by doctors for any additional or underlying medical conditions, it said.
A team of doctors led by Dr Rahul Nagpal, Director and Head of the Department, Pediatrics, Fortis Hospital, took the baby in their care.
On preliminary examination, it appeared that the baby was born less than 24 to 48 hours ago, was looking blue and her body weight was only two kilograms, lower than the usual weight for a newborn, the statement said.
“The baby was drenched due to rain, extremely weak and in a hypothermic state with the umbilical cord attached. She appeared to be a preterm baby and her body temperature was 33 degree Celsius, lower than the normal 36.4 degree Celsius.
“Our team resuscitated her and wrapped her in warm clothing after cleaning her. She was then shifted to the neonatal intensive care unit,” said Dr Nagpal.
He said they are monitoring the oxygen saturation level, correcting her blood sugar, and stabilized her.
“We are conducting a few tests to know whether she has any additional medical conditions or if there was any brain damage. The baby is responding to treatment which is a good sign,” he added.
The residents said they were going for a morning walk when they saw the baby lying in the garbage dump almost with no clothes.
“We immediately informed the local police, who brought the newborn to Fortis Vasant Kunj. We will be happy to adopt the child, if possible, post her recovery,” they said.