Seven-day old baby stolen in a Tanzania hospital

IRINGA, Tanzania 

A woman has lost her seven-day-old baby after handing him over to someone she met at Frelimo District Hospital, Iringa Region in Tanzania, where she had gone to start post antenatal clinic.

According to the hospital’s Chief Physician, Pilia Zambi, the incident happened Thursday afternoon at 1.00pm.

“She was sitting on a bench with other patients. One woman asked the mother to take her luggage from the maternity ward, so she left her child to pick the luggage.” She said.

Upon her return from the ward, neither did she find the woman nor the baby; her efforts to look for her did not bear fruit.

Other patients who were seated on the same bench said the woman had headed towards the toilets with the baby, direction that those who know the hospital say has porous routes that the woman could have used.

According to Dr. Zambi after a thorough search they decided to report the matter to the nearest police station.

One of the patients who was at the hospital, Mary Mbatta, said she was shocked when the woman started asking them about the whereabouts of the woman she had left with her baby.

"We tried to look around but in vain and that is when she decided to reported the matter to the hospital’s management," said Mary.

However, Dr Zambi said this was the first incident of that nature to occur although there had been cases of patients being conned due to the hospital lacking a fence.

"It is possible that the person who stole the baby is not the first time she has tried to do so, but today she has succeeded. I urge people not to trust anyone.” She said.