Health Dept celebrated Lohri with 12 newborn girls

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 14

The Health Department on Monday celebrated Lohri with 12 newborn girls, who were born on January 12 and 13, and their parents. Staff members also distributed a kit of baby-care products and edibles among them.

Notwithstanding the tradition of celebrating Lohri to mark the arrival of a baby boy, the hospital staff congratulated the parents on newborn girls’ birth. The staff gathered in the compound near the paediatric ward and lit a bonfire and distributed sweets, ‘reoris’ and ‘gajak’.

Those present on the occasion admitted that things had changed a lot now and girls and boys are treated equally. They said the mindset of a certain section of society had not changed yet and there was still a long way to go before girls acquire an equal status in society.

The Civil Surgeon, Dr HN Singh, congratulated the parents on the birth of the girl child and for Lohri. Dr HN Singh said, “The girl child must be provided a nutritious diet so that they can live a healthy life.”

The vaccination of girls needs to be done on time to keep them healthy and disease-free. The parents of the girl child must ensure that they provide higher education to them. We can think of a flourishing society by making girls self-reliant, which is the need of the hour.

Addressing the gathering, the District Family Welfare Officer, Dr Gurdeep Singh, said, “There is need to reach the “Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao” scheme to every home and village because today is the time when girls have overtaken boys in every field and are getting plum positions.

Dr Satish Jindal said, “Girls have scaled new heights in almost every field today. But it is shameful that we still get to hear about female foeticide in news. It is high time we reached out to the people who have a biased approach towards the girl child and sensitise them to the importance of girls.”

Hospital staff congratulate parents

• Notwithstanding the tradition of celebrating Lohri to mark the arrival of a baby boy, the hospital staff congratulated the parents on newborn girls’ birth. The staff gathered in the compound near the paediatric ward and lit a bonfire and distributed sweets, ‘reoris’ and ‘gajak’.