In a shocking case, a newborn boy child was allegedly sold at a clinic here after his parents were not able to pay the medical bills.
When the incident came to the fore on Thursday, the Child Protection Officer and Members of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) rushed to the house of the newborn’s parents and conducted an inquiry.
Following this, a woman who had taken the child handed over the baby to her mother, who denied that the child was sold.
Sources said a plumber, Surendra Pradhan resides with his wife Smrutirekha and a 12-year -old daughter at Champatoli at Shaktinagar here.
Smrutirekha had become pregnant a few months ago. When the delivery date approached, she was admitted at the Jagannath Clinic at Koel Nagar here on September 3. later, she delivered a boy and a girl child, the sources said.
Since Smrutirekha was not in good health, the doctors advised her to stay at the clinic under observation. As both the newborn twin’s conditions were not well, they were referred to the IG Hospital and later to the Astha Mother and Child Care for treatment.
In the meantime, the Jagannath Clinic asked Surendra to pay a bill of Rs 1.60 lakh. But he said as his family is poor, they could not afford to pay such a huge amount, said the sources.
However, it was alleged a doctor and an agent sold the boy to a couple who were keen to pay the clinic’s dues of Rs 1.60 lakh and take the child.
When this news spread, Sundargarh Child Protection Officer S Jena and CWC Members went to Smrutirekha’s house; and. on inquiry, she said that
one Seema Singh had become close to her family; and since her (Smrutirkeha’s) health was not good, Seema had taken her son from the Astha Hospital with the knowledge of the Pradhan couple . The girl child had been taken by her brother and his wife.
She claimed that the clinic’s bill had been settled jointly by her brother and Seema Singh. But when the child sale news spread, Seema handed over the baby to Smrutirkeha and her brother was on his way from Angul to hand over the girl child to her, said Child Protection Officer Jena.
“looking into their poor financial condition of the Pradhan couple, we have decided to give Rs 2,000 aid per month to the family .” Jena added.