The number of abandoned babies, extramarital pregnancy -- one reason

Alone, without family care, some babies are staying at the Neonatology Clinic at the University Clinical Centre in Kosovo, Online Economy reports.

For food, cleaning, health, and love, nurses and medical staff in this clinic care, since these babies are abandoned by their parents.

And during 2019 there was an increase in the number of abandoned babies.

This has been made known for Online Economy, the director of Neonattology Clinic, Gevdet Gojnovci, under which this clinic treats all abandoned babies born at the Obstetric Gynecological Clinic, but also those coming from abroad via social and police workers.

“In 2019 there is an increase in the number of abandoned babies compared to 2018, I can say that in 2019 the Neonatology Clinic treated 38 babies, of these 26 were treated as abandoned babies, but after talking to the social worker working at the Gynec Clinic and the clinic's staff of Neonatology has become the family union. While, only 12 cases have remained as social cases and the Social Goods Department cares for them near the Ministry of Labour and Social Management”, Gojnovci said.

He points out that in 2018, 29 abandoned babies were in the clinic, but 20 of them have been reunited with families.

“In 2018 there were 29 abandoned babies, from these 20 babies after the talks have returned to families, while 9 have remained under the care of the social welfare department as social cases”, he indicated.

According to Gojnovci, the reasons for abandoning babies are different, one of them being extramarital pregnancies.

“Arsyet are different from those economics, those extramarital pregnancies, etc.”, Gojnovci stressed.

The abandoned babies, at the clinic, stay 28 days, then according to Gojnovci, the social welfare department cares.

There's no big difference between genders, so they're all social cases at the moment the mother is born. She claims she won't take care of the baby, and the nursing staff together with the doctor takes the baby in intensive care of 24 hours, takes all the tests, then stays at our clinic for 28 days and with social worker, then cares about the social welfare department”, Goynovci said.

At times, though, a baby has spent more than 28 days in the clinic. This is usually due to infant health problems.

“under particular circumstances can depending on social cases that should be handled in intensive care and receive services, therapies so that they can stay longer because of the need for recovery”, he indicated

According to Gojnovci, the service for these babies is not missing, however, shows they lack nursing staff.

We at the Neonatology Clinic have a special space but we also have a nurse who cares 24 hours 7 days a week about the service, but we still have a lack of nursing staff and always needs one for these babies. Every change from a nurse who cares for these babies”, the director of Neonatology indicated.

Meanwhile, from the USKKUK Directorate, in a written response to Online Economy, they say that clinic shortages and demands are much larger, compared to budgetary opportunities.

“Viti 2019, has been the year that most nurses have been admitted and emergency needs have been met in all clinics. In this year, following the budget's adoption, based on budgetary opportunities, there will be competitions again in order to meet demands”, the USKKKUK says in response.