State appoints doctors, nurse for HC creche

Kolkata: A creche to accommodate children of Calcutta High Court (HC) staff, lawyers and litigants is expected to become operational soon. In the latest development, the state health dept has issued an order to depute two doctors and one nurse for the creche facility on the HC premises. The department instructed the two medical officers and the nurse to report to the registrar general, Calcutta HC, for duty immediately."The medical staff for the creche include two medical officers from Swasthya Bhawan and a trained staff nurse from IPGMER & SSKM Hospital. They were asked to report for this new posting at the earliest," said a health department official.
On Jan 22, the HC directed the registry to ensure that the creche is made functional within 30 days. This direction came seven years after a PIL was filed seeking a creche facility. Sources said the space and other infrastructure is ready and can be made operational once the manpower is available. According to a recently issued guideline, children aged between 6 months and 5 years will be accommodated in the creche, which will also have a separate breastfeeding area. While there will be no admission fee in the case of daily service, for monthly service it is specified as Rs 1,000 for admission, Rs 1,500 for the care fee per month in advance, and Rs 100 per day in the case of daily service. The creche can accommodate a maximum of four children at a time, on a first-come, first-served basis. The facility will function from 10.30 am to 6 pm on working days, excluding weekends, declared holidays and court vacations. However, it will not allow ailing children or those with allergies. Parents will need to sign the drop-and-pick-up register, produce a child's birth certificate and provide an emergency number. The child can be collected by authorised persons with valid identification only. Parents will need to supply food, milk, nappies, spare clothes and medicines. The guideline makes information bands for children mandatory, and parents are barred from remaining inside except during drop-off, pick-up and feeding.