Dubai Police recently reported that it had rescued 40 children who were left locked inside cars by their parents in the first quarter of this year. Last year, 137 children were rescued in similar cases, according to Dubai Police.
Children were also rescued from cars parked in private garages or near shopping malls after being trapped inside for over an hour or two. This practice is very dangerous as are at the risk of suffocating. The police uses advanced equipment to rescue children trapped in cars. There are reports that parents are used to leaving their children inside cars with the engine running, which bears great risk to the life of the children.
Safety of children is our basic responsibility because any type of negligence can lead to a disaster for the child. Many accidents have been caused by carelessness such as children who are left alone at home falling off the balcony of their building or suffocating in a car. There is no doubt that we struggle very hard for our children to provide them with better education and a bright future. However, our careless attitude and minor negligence puts them at the risk of death.
All parents are requested to prove themselves as role models for their children and also pay due attention to them, especially when leaving them alone either at home or in the car. If due to any reason they face difficulties in giving proper attention to them, they can hire or engage a nanny or housekeeper to look after their child at all times. But there is no denying that a housekeeper or nanny cannot be true replacement to parents.
The government is also requested to introduce an alarm system in every vehicle and create educational programmes for parents in the UAE.
— The reader is a Pakistani office manager based in Dubai
