By Godfred A. Polkuu
Zebilla (U/E), June 3, GNA – Dr Ayobi Abdul-Rahaman, Medical Superintendent of Zebilla Hospital in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region, says the reported one-week-old missing baby from the maternity ward of the hospital has been found.
On May 25, 2024, a baby was reported missing from the maternity ward during visiting hours, unknown to the staff of the ward.
The said baby was later found, and the suspect was arrested after the management of the hospital collaborated with the District Police Command.
Dr Abdul-Rahaman in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, explained that the baby’s mother, who was at the maternity ward, engaged in conversation with a stranger who posed as a patient’s relative during visiting hours.
He said the victim subsequently gained the trust of the stranger and left her baby in her care without informing other relatives and midwives on the ward.
“She gained her trust, and they were in conversation. This woman thought she was a friendly person, so when she was going to bathe, she left the baby in the care of this person.
“She did not inform any of the relatives who were around, she did not inform the midwives on the ward. So, this person sneaked out with the baby,” he said.
Dr Abdul-Rahaman said the management of the hospital, with the support of the Police, gathered some information about the suspected baby thief, who was subsequently arrested, and the baby retrieved.
He expressed concern that adherence to visiting hours of the hospital by patients’ relatives was a challenge for management and said they would continue to sensitise members of the public through public durbars and local radio stations in the area on the need to adhere to the hospital’s visiting hours.
To check for any occurrence in the future, the Medical Superintendent admonished patients to be extra vigilant while on admission and deal with recognized hospital staff.
He said management would review the security arrangements of the facility, engage more security guards, and install Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at vantage points of the hospital to effectively monitor the movements of persons who visited the hospital.
“These are strategies we are thinking about, and we are also in discussion with the Police to see if they can help us to map out a proper security strategy,” Dr Abdul-Rahaman said.
GNA