Kerala police officer breastfeeds baby in mother's absence

The motherly act of a woman police official in Kochi, Kerala, is receiving accolades. M A Arya, a civil police officer at Kochi City North Women's Police Station, demonstrated the kindness of motherhood by breastfeeding a four-month-old baby of a migrant woman. She did so as the child's mother was hospitalized.

Ajana, a native of Patna, was admitted to the government general hospital in the city on Thursday. With her husband in jail and no other relatives, Ajana, who has been living with four children, was suffering from heart ailments. The hospital authorities notified the police control room about the four minor children. Apart from the four-month old child, others were aged two, five and thirteen.

A police party took the children to the women's police station, providing food for the elder children. As the four-month-old child cried in hunger, Arya, who is the mother of a nine-month-old child herself, offered to breastfeed the infant. With permission from her superior officers, she nourished the child.

Later, the district child welfare committee relocated the children to a children's home, while Ajana continued to receive treatment at the hospital's intensive care unit.

With the police official's motherly act being widely appreciated, the Kochi city police is also formally honouring her.