Little Pihu's miraculous survival: From being abandoned in dustbin with slit throat to a new life

In the quiet halls of Kamla Nehru Hospital in Bhopal, a tiny miracle took place. Just a month ago, an infant girl was brought in a blood-soaked bundle, her throat slit, a lifeless body abandoned in a dustbin. Today, the same little girl, named Pihu, has defied the odds, with doctors, nurses, and her own resilience rewriting the fate that seemed all but sealed.

On January 11, Pihu’s grandmother brutally slit her throat abandoning her to die in a trash bin in Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh, around 100 kilometres from Bhopal. But against all expectations, she was found alive blood still oozing from her wounds by a passersby who wasted no time alerting the authorities. 

As the police rushed her to the district hospital and then brought her to Bhopal, no one could have predicted what would unfold.

Dr. Dheerendra Shrivastav, Head of the Department at Kamla Nehru Hospital, recalls the dire situation. "Her throat had been deeply slashed, but by a miracle, the cut missed all the major veins and arteries."

The baby’s survival became the medical team's collective mission. Nurses, doctors, and hospital staff dedicated themselves tirelessly to her care, ensuring that little Pihu was never left alone. Each member of the medical team took turns holding her, performing multiple surgeries to repair her delicate blood vessels. 

Miraculously, after over a month of surgery and constant care, Pihu was discharged on Friday, her injuries healed and her little body grew stronger by the day. Yet, her journey is far from over. Pihu has now been handed over to a shelter home in Rajgarh, where she will continue to receive the care she needs.

A widespread tragedy:

Tragically, Pihu’s case is not isolated. Madhya Pradesh has long been plagued by one of the highest rates of baby abandonment in the country. In recent years, babies have been abandoned at an alarming rate many left to die from exposure, attacked by wild animals, or succumb to neglect. According to the 2022 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, Madhya Pradesh recorded 175 abandoned newborns, the highest in India.

Dr. Shrivastav, who has witnessed such tragedies firsthand, is both heartbroken and hopeful. "In the last few months, we’ve seen several similar cases. We named one of the babies ‘Khushi,’ and this one we named ‘Pihu’.

In Madhya Pradesh, at least one newborn is discarded every other day, and Pihu’s miraculous survival offers a rare glimpse of hope.