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Baby abandoned over health care costs
By Lu Feiran |
July 1, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A THREE-MONTH-OLD baby who was abandoned by his parents because they could not afford his health care costs is now at Changning District Central Hospital.
The baby boy has congenital heart disease and possibly Down syndrome, which causes intellectual impairment and physical abnormalities.
The baby was found by a resident in a neighborhood on Quankou Road on Tuesday night in Changning District. The resident, surnamed Shen, called police, who contacted the hospital.
"When my husband took out the trash about 10pm, he found a bundle at the door," Shen said. "We were astonished to find a baby inside."
The boy had a message with him saying: "The family can't afford his medical treatment, please help him."
The bundle also contained some baby formula and a diaper.
Residents in the neighborhood said the parents should have turned to society for help if they couldn't afford medical care for their child.
A hospital spokesperson said they hope the boy's parents come forward and that the child is now being taken care of by hospital staff.
Pediatricians at the hospital said the boy needs further tests so they can determine if he needs an operation on his heart. The hospital said it will contact civil affairs officials to send the boy to an orphanage once his condition stabilizes.
"He needs a series of physical exams from now on," said a doctor surnamed Chen. "If he needs surgery, the government will cover the fee."
The baby boy has congenital heart disease and possibly Down syndrome, which causes intellectual impairment and physical abnormalities.
The baby was found by a resident in a neighborhood on Quankou Road on Tuesday night in Changning District. The resident, surnamed Shen, called police, who contacted the hospital.
"When my husband took out the trash about 10pm, he found a bundle at the door," Shen said. "We were astonished to find a baby inside."
The boy had a message with him saying: "The family can't afford his medical treatment, please help him."
The bundle also contained some baby formula and a diaper.
Residents in the neighborhood said the parents should have turned to society for help if they couldn't afford medical care for their child.
A hospital spokesperson said they hope the boy's parents come forward and that the child is now being taken care of by hospital staff.
Pediatricians at the hospital said the boy needs further tests so they can determine if he needs an operation on his heart. The hospital said it will contact civil affairs officials to send the boy to an orphanage once his condition stabilizes.
"He needs a series of physical exams from now on," said a doctor surnamed Chen. "If he needs surgery, the government will cover the fee."
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