Strapped to father's chest, motherless Damini baby lives rickshaw nightmare

Motherless infant Damini, whose rickshaw puller father was carrying her in a cloth sling around his neck after her birth in Bharatpur, is battling for life at a private hospital here.

The underweight and anemic one-month-old girl was admitted to Fortis hospital here late last night in critical condition after the Rajasthan government yesterday decided to bear her medical expenses.

"Her condition is critical and she is on ventilator support," Dr Jaikrishan Mittal, who is attending to her, said.

"Her organs are affected with infection and she is also suffering from pneumonia. She is underweight and anemic," he said.

Damini's mother Shanti died on September 20 at the time of delivery and since there was no one to look after the girl, her father Bablu started carrying her in a cloth sling around his neck while riding a rented rickshaw to earn his livelihood.

District Collector Gyan Prakash Shukla had yesterday said he has constituted inquiry into death of the girl's mother, which he said, occurred due to alleged negligence of doctors of a hospital in Bharatpur.

Local NGOs have also offered help to the family.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today said the Rajasthan government will make available all possible help for the girl and her father.

"It is a sensitive matter and directions have been issued to the district collector. She was admitted to Fortis hospital here and the government will take care of her," Gehlot said.

"The government would also examine how her father can be helped in future; but the girl's health is on priority now," he told reporters at Pink City Press club here.

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