She is the sixth baby to be left anonymously in the incubator of Kecskemét hospital recently.Continue reading
In order to speed up the adoption procedures for babies left in hospital, the government submitted a bill last summer, which was supported by the Fidesz and KDNP parliamentary groups. Thus, new rules have been introduced to make adoption easier, the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior informed MTI.
According to Bence Rétvári’s statement, 59 children left in hospital between July 1 and December 31, 2024 were declared adoptable under the new law. By the end of last year, the adoption procedure for 22 children had already been completed. He explained that
today in Hungary, more than a thousand parents with a suitability decision and waiting for adoption want to adopt a child aged 0-3 years old.
According to the State Secretary, an increasing number of babies have recently been left in hospital neonatal units, meaning that they have not been taken home by their parents or relatives. The new regulation will transfer the rules for children placed in incubators to children left in neonatal units; if neither the mother nor any other relative comes forward to pick up the child left in hospital within six weeks, the baby will become adoptable without a waiver and the adoption process can start.
Bence Rétvári also announced that a new procedure for adoption cases is being implemented in maternity wards: hospitals have appointed contact persons to assist the government office and will provide all available information to ensure that the adoption is declared as soon as possible.
According to the procedure, the final report must inform the mother that the consent of the parent who leaves the child in the health institution for six weeks immediately after birth is not required, and the situation is the same if no relative is present during this period.
If the newborn child is left in a health facility, the hospital shall notify the Government Office of the fact within one working day of the mother’s departure, and if the mother or other relative reports for the child, visits or makes a written declaration of intention to bring the child home within six weeks, the hospital shall also inform the Government Office immediately.
The child was properly cared for by his parents before being placed in the incubator. The newborn was given the name Bertold Varga by the staff of the Department of Infants and Children and was observed in the perinatal intensive section of the department. The hospital has started the official procedure of adoption.
Last year, two newborn babies were placed in the incubator of the Hetényi Géza Hospital.
In addition, the hospital shall also provide the child’s guardian and the prospective adoptive parents with the opportunity to visit the child and, upon presentation of the decision of the guardianship authority on the placement of the child in compulsory care, hand the child over to the adoptive parents.
In addition to the provision of specialized care for children left in hospital, hospitals will also ensure that children receive the care necessary for their healthy physical, psychological and social development, including continuous vaccinations, age-related screening tests and various care activities, in addition to the necessary medical care and treatment, Bence Rétvári emphasized in his statement.
Via MTI, Featured photo via Pixabay
