HRH Sultanah Pahang Sultanah Kalsom launched Malaysia’s first baby hatch and OrphanCARE’s operations centre
on 29th May 2010. Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil, Minister of Women,
Family & Community Development and Dato’ Adnan Mohd Tahir, President
of OrphanCARE were also present to officiate the launch.
It is heart-wrenching to read about and
see pictures of abandoned babies, many of whom are left to die in places
such as toilets and rubbish bins. In Malaysia, the incidence of
abandoned babies is reported to be about 100 cases per year. However the
actual number of babies that are abandoned is not really known and is
estimated to be higher than that. Reported cases may be just the tip of
the iceberg; with a large proportion of “hidden” cases whereby the
babies are given up for adoption and managed in a private and illegal
manner by those who offer refuge.
With the establishment of the Baby Hatch
at OrphanCARE’s premises, it is hoped that there will be a reduction in
the number of babies abandoned in unsafe places. Our aim is to
discourage women, especially young unwed mothers who have nowhere to
turn to for help, from abandoning their babies by providing the
assurance that their babies would be placed with caring parents.
How the Baby Hatch works
An online demonstration of the state-of-art baby hatch can be viewed from the following blog link: Baby Hatch demonstration
Goverment Support
OrphanCARE has the support of the
Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development and is in fact
working closely with the Ministry. The Ministry is establishing a task
force to review and update the Adoption Acts, Registration Act etc and
has invited OrphanCARE to be part of the task force. OrphanCARE also
intends to work with other Government departments, NGOs, the media and
members of the public to help reduce the number of orphans living in
orphanages and abandoned babies in Malaysia.
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