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:
<blockquote>
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.
</blockquote>
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.

Pindula News

The government is investigating a baby swap at a hospital. The findings will be made public. Families have been reunited. The incident must not happen again. The nurse involved may face charges. A mother was given the wrong baby. DNA tests confirmed the swap. The hospital staff and police were involved in resolving the situation.

Government To Release Findings Of UBH Baby Swap Probe, Says Kwidini

The United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) has launched an investigation into a recent baby-swapping incident at its maternity ward, a senior government official has said.
A woman who had given birth to a baby boy was shocked when a nurse handed her a baby girl.
Health and Child Care Ministry permanent secretary, Aspect Maunganidze (pictured above), told the <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/very-unfortunate-government-speaks-on-ubh-baby-swap/">Chronicle</a> on Monday that the Government is aware of the incident and described it as “very unfortunate.” Said Maunganidze:
<blockquote>
The ministry is aware of the unfortunate incident of ‘baby swapping’ that occurred at United Bulawayo Hospitals and awaits the results of the investigation that we instructed the hospital to undertake.
While we expect the investigation to be concluded expeditiously, we acknowledge the sensitivities around the matter.
Parallel to the investigative process, we have instructed the institution to assist with counselling all affected parties (including the staff), reorient or refresh our staff on the standard operating procedures during and after delivery, and reinforce the importance of good moral and ethical practice.
</blockquote>
The mother of the boy had to resort to DNA testing at a private lab in the city centre and the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) to prove that the baby girl given to her by the nurse was not hers.
The nurse on duty had told her that she had given birth to a girl and, due to her Caesarean section, she might have been under sedation.
Zephania Dlamini, head of the Applied Genetics Testing Centre at NUST, confirmed that DNA tests conducted on the parents and babies unequivocally showed that the two babies had been exchanged. Said Dlamini:
<blockquote>
Before approaching Nust, the complainant had sought testing at the Global DNA lab in the city centre, which confirmed that the baby girl was not hers.
Our results corroborated these findings. Subsequent testing on the couple claiming to be the parents of the boy yielded negative results, while the boy’s DNA matched that of the complainant, and the girl’s DNA matched that of the other woman.
</blockquote>

A hospital in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, is investigating a baby-swapping incident in the maternity ward. A mother was given the wrong baby by a nurse. The government knows about the incident and calls it unfortunate. The mother had to do DNA testing to prove the baby was not hers. The results showed that the babies were swapped. The hospital is counseling everyone involved and will review procedures to prevent this from happening again.

Government "Aware" Of Baby-Swapping Incident At United Bulawayo Hospitals

A woman who recently gave birth to a boy via Caesarean section at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) was shocked to be discharged with a baby girl.
As reported by the <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/baby-swap-at-bulawayo-hospital/">Chronicle</a>, the mother, who cannot be named due to ethical concerns, found out that the parents of the baby girl had already travelled to Esigodini in Matabeleland South with her son.
A month later, the woman had to pay US$220 for DNA tests at a Bulawayo lab to prove the child given to her by a maternity nurse was not her biological offspring.
A woman from Cowdray Park, close to the mother, said that a scan the day before the birth confirmed she was expecting a boy. She said:
<blockquote>
After the delivery, a nurse took the child for cleaning and returned it to the mother.
The mother, who had been taking photographs of her son, noticed the baby’s identification tag indicated it was a girl.
</blockquote>
When the new mother noticed the discrepancy, she immediately alerted the nurse. However, the nurse dismissed her concerns, suggesting that the anaesthesia from the Caesarean section might have clouded her judgment.
According to the source, another expectant mother had been admitted to the ward just fifteen minutes before the operation but had already been discharged by the time the alert mother raised the alarm.
The mother informed her relatives about the situation. Her uncle suggested DNA testing, but the nurse opposed the idea, claiming it was too expensive.
Despite the nurse’s objections, the uncle insisted, and they proceeded with DNA testing at a lab in Bulawayo. The results confirmed that the baby girl was not her biological child.
Angry, the family returned to the hospital, demanding answers and the return of their son. Hospital staff located the other mother, who lived in Esigodini, Umzingwane District, and a hospital vehicle was sent to retrieve her.
The woman’s husband initially insisted that the child was theirs. The police were then involved, and the couple was brought to Bulawayo.
The hospital engaged the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) for DNA testing, which confirmed that the two babies had been exchanged.
Zephania Dlamini, head of the Applied Genetics Testing Centre at NUST, confirmed this shocking discovery to the Chronicle. He said:
<blockquote>
In the Bulawayo case, two women who were in the same ward at UBH delivered around the same time.
The complainant asserted that her child was a boy, but when it was returned after cleaning, she was given a girl.
</blockquote>
Dlamini further said that when confronted with the discrepancy, the other mother firmly insisted her child was a boy, a claim strongly backed by her husband. He said:
<blockquote>
He even insisted that the ultrasound scan had confirmed the sex of the child as male. Before approaching NUST, the complainant had sought testing at the Global DNA lab in the city centre, which confirmed that the baby girl was not hers.
Our results corroborated these findings. Subsequent testing on the couple claiming to be the parents of the boy yielded negative results, while the boy’s DNA matched that of the complainant, and the girl’s DNA matched that of the other woman.
</blockquote>
Dlamini revealed that the entire hospital administration was present during the testing process. UBH chief medical officer William Busumani declined to comment on the incident.
Maphios Siamuchembu, Provincial Medical Director for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, said he was unaware of any baby-swapping reports from UBH.
Renowned medical expert Solwayo Ngwenya called baby-swapping errors tragic but preventable with proper diligence.
Cultural expert Richard Ndebele said that baby swapping was rare in the past due to traditional village midwives.
He warned that those involved must be ready to face consequences, as misfortune could affect both the child and themselves.
Ndebele added that the child might struggle throughout life, and the perpetrators could incur the wrath of their ancestors.
Margaret Makumbe, a retired nurse with over 40 years of experience delivering more than 10,000 babies, said:
<blockquote>
In my entire career, I never experienced that wherever I was deployed, neither did I hear of it anywhere else and I think this was because we did what we did out of love.
I just wonder how such a mistake can happen because once a baby is delivered the mother is shown the child before it’s taken away for cleaning with a name tag already strapped on the wrist.
</blockquote>
Makumbe, during her tenure at Mpilo Hospital, achieved an extraordinary feat by delivering an incredible 15 babies in a single night.

A woman in Zimbabwe had a baby boy in the hospital but was given a baby girl by mistake. She paid for DNA tests that confirmed the baby was not hers. The hospital found the real mother who had her baby. The police got involved and confirmed the babies were switched. The hospital did more DNA tests that showed the mistake. Experts say these mistakes are rare but could have bad consequences. A retired nurse with a lot of experience was surprised by the mix up. Baby swapping could lead to problems for everyone involved.

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