Kochi: When the tiny finger of a newborn was gently placed on a biometric scanner inside a neonatal intensive care unit, it marked a rare first for Kerala. Just a few days into the world, Abdur Rahman Tanveer, who was born prematurely, received his passport while still in the NICU, enabling him to travel to Saudi Arabia with his parents.

The baby is the son of Mohammad Tanveer Alam and Ghazala Afroz Jahan, natives of Madhubani district in Bihar. Born at just 33 weeks of pregnancy, the infant was admitted to the NICU immediately after birth. With permission from hospital authorities, officials from the Kochi Regional Passport Office visited the hospital and registered the baby’s biometric details on site. Officials said this was the first time in Kerala that a passport had been issued in such circumstances.

Tanveer, an official at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia, applied for his son’s passport last Friday, as he was required to return to Saudi Arabia this month. The passport was issued and handed over within five days.

Ghazala, who works as a school teacher in Saudi Arabia, and her husband had been married for 16 years without having children. Acting on the advice of a Malayali friend, they sought treatment at a private hospital in Kodungallur, where Ghazala began treatment in February last year and continued her pregnancy in Kerala. She delivered the baby at the hospital on the 20th of last month.

To secure a passport for his premature son, Tanveer approached the Passport Seva Kendra in Aluva. Officials led by Assistant Passport Officer Shibu John took note of the urgency of the request and forwarded the application to the Kochi Regional Passport Office. Further procedures were completed under the supervision of Regional Passport Officer P R Deep, with officials from Aluva visiting the hospital to collect the infant’s biometrics.

“This could have happened only in Kerala. The state’s compassion is what makes it the most progressive in the country,” Tanveer told Manorama, expressing his gratitude for the support he received. He said the experience had created a lasting bond between his family and Kerala. “My wife and I now wish to buy a small piece of land here and strengthen that connection. We want our son to learn Malayalam too,” he added.

The family will return to Saudi Arabia as soon as the baby is discharged from hospital.

As Tanveer left after thanking the passport officials, he carried with him what he described as a lifelong stamp of Kerala’s kindness.