The Eastern Region recorded 22 cases of child abandonment over the period under review, with most of the children left in unsafe places and several losing their lives, the Department of Social Welfare has said.
The Eastern Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, Isaac Koramoah Asante, disclosed that eight of the children were abandoned in hospitals, while 14 were left in bushes or at dumping sites across the region. He said the outcomes were especially grim for children abandoned outside health facilities.
Mr Asante made the disclosure in an exclusive interview with Metro TV’s Eastern Regional Correspondent, Samuel Kwesi Appah-Peniel, in Koforidua.
He described the situation as deeply troubling and urged the public to choose safer alternatives. Mr Asante pointed to a new government-backed legal framework that allows parents who are unable or unwilling to care for a child to surrender the child to the state through a voluntary relinquishment process.
He appealed to religious and community leaders to use their platforms to discourage child abandonment and to educate their members about lawful options available to parents in distress.
Mr Asante also encouraged residents who find themselves pregnant but unable to raise a child to hand the child over to the state, noting that there are trained and committed foster parents ready to provide care at no cost.
According to the Department of Social Welfare, voluntary relinquishment not only protects the lives of children but also ensures they are placed in safe and supportive homes.
Samuel Kwesi Appah-Peniel, Koforidua- Eastern Region
