Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
THE investigation into the distressing case of the baby swap at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) is still underway, with the Government promising full transparency and publication of its findings.
The incident, which caused considerable upset and concern, prompted the Ministry of Health and Child Care to do a thorough review of procedures at the hospital, and the public awaits the outcome of the investigation with keen interest.
Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Sleiman Kwidini, speaking after a tour of UBH last Thursday, said the ministry is still dealing with the matter and will leave no stone unturned.
United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH)
He acknowledged that while the families involved have been reunited, the incident is unacceptable and must never happen again.
“That matter is still under investigation, but I can assure the nation that the findings will be made public. If charges are to be brought against anyone found guilty, they will be. And if it is proven that it was simply a mistake without ill intent, the public will also be informed. It must be clear that this matter will not be swept under the carpet,” Deputy Minister Kwidini said.
Deputy Minister Kwidini did not confirm whether the nurse involved is still working or has been suspended during the investigation.
However, a source revealed that hospital authorities initially downplayed the incident until it was reported by Chronicle.
“This was a closed chapter until you guys started making noise about it. This is why even the Provincial Medical Director (PMD) was not aware of the incident. How can such a matter not be reported to the authorities? If you keep a close eye on what happens at the hospital, you will be shocked,” the source said.
A post-partum mother who had given birth to a baby boy received a shock late last year when a nurse handed her a baby girl.
The young woman resorted to DNA testing at a private laboratory in the city centre and the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) to prove her concerns that the baby girl was not hers. The nurse on duty had told her that her child was a girl, suggesting that the anaesthesia from her Caesarean section may have caused confusion.
They allegedly reassured her that the anaesthesia had caused her confusion. Frustrated but determined, the mother contacted her family for support.
She recalled that about 15 minutes before she went into theatre, another woman was also in the ward, due to undergo the same procedure. However, that woman had been discharged and had gone home to Esigodini, Matabeleland South province.
Her family supported her, especially as scan results from the previous day had shown that her unborn baby was a boy. Undeterred, the woman visited Global DNA lab at Bulawayo Centre, and the results confirmed that the baby girl she was given was not hers.
Furious, the family returned to the hospital, demanding answers and the return of their biological son. Hospital staff were forced to locate the other mother, and a hospital vehicle was dispatched to retrieve her.
However, the woman’s husband refused to co-operate, insisting that the child was his. The police were then called in, and the couple was brought to Bulawayo.
At the insistence of the aggrieved family, the hospital engaged Nust for DNA testing. The results unequivocally confirmed that the babies had been exchanged. (@The Chronicle)
