PHUKET: A mother who deserted her newborn daughter at a Phuket hospital has been found and talked around gently to a reunion.
It was no easy task. When the woman, whose name is being withheld, walked out of Thalang Hospital on Friday, doctors and nurses sensed there had to be a good reason.
Conflict and trauma and a lack of economic support turned out to be why.
Police went to a block of rooms somewhere on Phuket during the daytime yesterday and failed to be able to find the woman,
Later, in the evening, a nurse and the director of Thalang Hospital went to the same premises and talked to the owner of the block.
This is not a police matter, they said. The mother is not in trouble. We just want to help.
Today, the woman, aged 32, returned to Thalang Hospital and was reunited with her daughter.
According to a nurse who spoke to the woman, she is a single mother down on her luck after splitting with her husband and two children several months ago.
She makes less than the minimum daily wage of 300 baht and could not see herself able to work and bring up a daughter.
She originally gave officials at the hospital a false name, and when she walked out, leaving the newborn behind, police had few clues as to where she might be.
However, they managed to trace her. And today she was reunited with her daughter.
The newborn at least has been registered at Thalang District offices and now has her own 13-digit ID, a necessity for all Thai citizens.
A deal was also made for the future of the pair. They are to spend 90 days taking refuge at the Phuket Shelter for Children and Families on Koh Sireh, east of Phuket City.
Efforts will be made to help them get by, provided the mother wishes to keep her daughter at the end of that time.
If not, there are many couples who would be delighted to have her and have come forward already.
It was no easy task. When the woman, whose name is being withheld, walked out of Thalang Hospital on Friday, doctors and nurses sensed there had to be a good reason.
Conflict and trauma and a lack of economic support turned out to be why.
Police went to a block of rooms somewhere on Phuket during the daytime yesterday and failed to be able to find the woman,
Later, in the evening, a nurse and the director of Thalang Hospital went to the same premises and talked to the owner of the block.
This is not a police matter, they said. The mother is not in trouble. We just want to help.
Today, the woman, aged 32, returned to Thalang Hospital and was reunited with her daughter.
According to a nurse who spoke to the woman, she is a single mother down on her luck after splitting with her husband and two children several months ago.
She makes less than the minimum daily wage of 300 baht and could not see herself able to work and bring up a daughter.
She originally gave officials at the hospital a false name, and when she walked out, leaving the newborn behind, police had few clues as to where she might be.
However, they managed to trace her. And today she was reunited with her daughter.
The newborn at least has been registered at Thalang District offices and now has her own 13-digit ID, a necessity for all Thai citizens.
A deal was also made for the future of the pair. They are to spend 90 days taking refuge at the Phuket Shelter for Children and Families on Koh Sireh, east of Phuket City.
Efforts will be made to help them get by, provided the mother wishes to keep her daughter at the end of that time.
If not, there are many couples who would be delighted to have her and have come forward already.
Appreciating that the Thai government has limited funds it is good to see that the government protects one of their most vunerable members of society, a new baby. However 90 days is a very short time for a fundamental change in the lady's situation, can part time (at no cost) volunteers be arranged via the government as the lady will need to work.
Posted by Happy Farang on October 23, 2012 19:44