CUTTACK: An unusual air of gaiety and cheerfulness abounds in an otherwise stark and stoic settings of the Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the SCB Medical College and Hospital, thanks to its oldest inmate Atmaja. The little over one month-old baby girl, who is at the centre of the baby swap controversy surrounding the hospital, is literally living her name (meaning daughter of the soul) given to her by the staff of the SNCU. She has won over the hearts and souls of the doctors, nurses, students not sparing even the mothers of the other sick newborns admitted to the unit. Four nurses are at her “beck and call” round the clock while she has no shortage of cuddling and pampering from the doctors and junior doctors along with medical students. A crib has been put in a corner of the SNCU for her as she has outgrown the stage where she can be kept in the warmer beds of the unit. Toys have been brought in by the staff. She has begun smiling and giggling. She has begun recognising those in her charge and even “flashes a special smile for the unit head Prof SN Parida,” under whose care she has been put. As the wait for the results of the DNA tests to resolve the controversy has commenced and is not expected before at least a month and a half, the hospital authorities are now moving to shift Atmaja from the SNCU to a special cabin in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department. The authorities had earlier contemplated moving the Orissa High Court for shifting the baby to a proper child care institution and housed there till the DNA test reports came in. However, with the staff members getting attached to the baby, they have decided to keep her under their care. Such has been the love for the child that the staff of the department recently organised the customary puja as per Hindu rituals. Besides, she cannot be kept in the SNCU much longer as she is not only past the newborn stage into infancy but also due to the enhanced risk of hospital-acquired infections in the critical care unit where sick newborns are treated. A meeting was held on Saturday with the Superintendent, heads of the O&G and SNCU, hospital administrators and Advocates Committee member PR Das participating where it was decided to shift Atmaja to the Special cabin on the ground floor of the O&G Department. It was decided that the Collector would be moved for provisioning four trained nurses for her care round the clock. The district administration on its part is providing funds from the Red Cross Society for her care and feeding.
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