The government has expressed deep concern over a distressing incident of baby-swapping that occurred at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), where a mother who had given birth to a baby boy was shocked to receive a baby girl instead. Health and Child Care Ministry Permanent Secretary, Dr. Aspect Maunganidze, described the situation as “very unfortunate” and confirmed that investigations have been launched to get to the bottom of the incident.
In an official statement to Chronicle, Dr. Maunganidze emphasized that the government was fully aware of the case and was awaiting the findings of an investigation that the hospital had been instructed to carry out. He also assured the public that steps were being taken to provide support to the families involved, including professional trauma counselling for both the parents and the hospital staff.
“We are fully aware of the unfortunate incident of ‘baby swapping’ at UBH and are awaiting the results of the investigation. In the meantime, we are making sure that all affected parties, including the hospital staff, undergo counselling. Additionally, the hospital is taking measures to reorient its staff on standard operating procedures to prevent such incidents in the future,” Dr. Maunganidze said.
The shocking turn of events unfolded when a woman, who gave birth to a son via Cesarean section, was handed a baby girl by a nurse, who explained that the mix-up might have been caused by the sedative effects of anaesthesia. Despite this explanation, the new mother’s suspicions were raised as her ultrasound results just a day before delivery had confirmed she was expecting a boy. The woman, who cannot be named for ethical reasons, sought help from her family and decided to take the matter further by requesting a DNA test.
Her suspicions were validated when DNA tests conducted at a private lab in Bulawayo, as well as at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), confirmed that the baby girl she had been given was not hers. Furious and distressed, the family demanded answers from UBH, leading to a dramatic sequence of events where hospital staff were forced to track down the other mother.
Hospital authorities dispatched a vehicle to locate the other mother, who had left the hospital and returned to her home in Esigodini, Matabeleland South. However, complications arose when the woman’s husband insisted that the baby was indeed theirs, despite the DNA evidence. The police were called to mediate the situation, and the two families were brought together at UBH.
Further DNA testing at NUST confirmed that the babies had indeed been swapped. Zephania Dlamini, the head of the Applied Genetics Testing Centre at NUST, confirmed that the DNA of the baby girl matched that of the other mother, while the DNA of the boy matched the complainant’s family.
Mrs Senzelaphi Nkiwane of Nkenyanein Bubi District yesterday shows off her 4.2kg baby bouncing boy at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo.The baby was one of the two big babies born out of 31 at the hospital on Christmas Day.
“We have confirmed the allegations. The complainant’s baby, who she had been told was a girl, was actually a boy, and the other mother had received a girl instead,” Dlamini explained. “The other mother had also insisted her baby was a boy, even though the ultrasound showed otherwise. Our tests confirmed the babies had been swapped.”
The hospital and health authorities are under intense scrutiny as they work to resolve the situation and prevent future occurrences of such incidents. Meanwhile, the two families are left to cope with the trauma of the mix-up, and it remains to be seen what further actions will be taken by the hospital and government to address the situation.
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