Chronicle EditorRaymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
She probably doesn’t remember who she slept with, resulting in her falling pregnant, but the outcome of that encounter was the birth of a baby girl. Now, the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) fears that the mentally challenged mother might harm the child if released into her custody.
Vimbai Gunda, estimated by UBH medical personnel to be in her late 20s or early 30s, gave birth to a baby girl at the medical facility on June 11. This followed a police alert from community members in Nketa suburb about a mentally challenged woman about to give birth.
Police officers from Tshabalala Police Station responded swiftly to the distress call and summoned an ambulance, which transported Gunda to UBH, where she delivered a healthy baby girl. UBH principal nursing officer Sikangezile Moyo stated that the hospital cannot release the baby into the mother’s custody due to concerns she might harm the toddler.
“We are appealing to anyone who might know Vimbai Gunda or her relatives to please come forward and take the baby that she gave birth to on June 11, 2024. The mother was brought to UBH in labour after community members called the police to report that a woman they knew to be mentally challenged was giving birth on her own.
“When Vimbai is released from the hospital and decides to return to the streets, where she was living in an abandoned caravan in Nketa suburb, we are afraid she might harm the baby considering her mental state,” said Moyo.
If no one from the new mother’s family comes forward to take the baby, UBH is appealing to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and children’s homes to take the toddler into their care.”The baby is almost two months old and is in very healthy condition. The mother is also in good condition as our staff here has been taking good care of her,” Moyo added.
Bulawayo police spokesman Inspector Abednico Ncube praised the Nketa community for working with the police to provide swift intervention that saved the lives of both the mother and the baby. “We have a healthy, beautiful baby here at UBH, and we appeal to anyone who knows the mother’s relatives to come to the hospital or go to their nearest police station so that the baby can be taken to a safe place.
We appreciate the work done by the staff at UBH in ensuring that both baby and mother are well cared for in the meantime,” said Inspector Ncube.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu