San-ikukai Hospital in Tokyo's Sumida Ward is preparing to set up a baby hatch where parents can leave their babies anonymously if they have difficulties raising them, informed sources said Thursday.
It hopes to launch the baby hatch next spring or later, along with a system to allow women to give births confidentially.
If San-ikukai Hospital's preparations go according to plan, it may become the second medical institution in Japan with a baby hatch. Jikei Hospital in the city of Kumamoto is the first, opening its baby hatch in May 2007.