Alberta health agency mulls baby drop-off

A health-care agency in Alberta is considering offering a drop-off spot for abandoned babies.

Covenant Health has been thinking about the idea since a Vancouver hospitalopenedthe country's firstbaby drop-off in May.

"If we can prevent even one person, one infant, from an untimely and tragic death that, I think, is consistent with who we are in terms of our values, our mission, our history," said Gordon Self, an agency vice-president in charge of ethics.

Covenant Health is aCatholic health-care provider funded by the Alberta government. Itworks in11 communities, including Edmonton, where it runs six facilities.

At St. Paul's Hospital in downtown Vancouver, a baby can be left in a safe, private alcove known as Angel's Cradle,near the hospital's emergency entrance. An alarm lets staff know there is a child there.

The hospital revealed this week that it received its first baby in July. The infant, two days old,was put under the care ofBritish Columbia'sMinistry of Children and Family Development.

Covenant Healthhas no timeline for when a baby drop-off may be set up. It says it wants to discuss the idea with social services, provincial health services and other Catholic organizations first.