Government To Release Findings Of UBH Baby Swap Probe, Says Kwidini
Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Sleiman Kwidini, said the investigation into the baby swap incident at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) is ongoing, and the government will release the findings once complete.
Speaking after a tour of UBH last Thursday, Kwidini said that the ministry is thoroughly addressing the issue and will leave no stone unturned.
He added that while the families have been reunited, the incident is unacceptable and must never be repeated. Said Kwidini:
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.
Kwidini did not confirm whether the nurse involved is still working or has been suspended pending the investigation.
A mother who gave birth to a baby boy late last year was shocked when a nurse handed her a baby girl instead.
The nurse suggested the confusion might be due to anaesthesia from her Caesarean section.
Suspicious, the mother sought DNA testing at a private lab and the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), which confirmed that the baby girl was not hers.
She had been told that another woman, who was due for the same procedure, had been discharged before her.
With the support of her family, who remembered her scan results showing a baby boy, the mother confronted the hospital.
Staff located the other woman, but her husband refused to cooperate, insisting the baby girl was his. The police were called, and the couple was brought to Bulawayo.
After further DNA testing with NUST, it was confirmed that the babies had been switched.
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