GHS orders tighter security across facilities after missing baby incident

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has instructed all Regional Health Directorates to urgently reinforce security and patient care arrangements in health facilities nationwide, following the reported disappearance of a baby at Mamprobi Hospital.

In a statement dated February 18, 2026, and signed by Director-General Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, regional directors were ordered to roll out strengthened and comprehensive safeguards designed to protect patients, with particular attention to newborns and other high-risk groups.

“Following the disturbing incident of the reported missing baby at the Mamprobi Hospital and the subsequent statement issued by the Ministry of Health, all Regional Health Directorates and facilities are hereby directed to implement, and strengthen, where necessary, immediate, comprehensive security and patient-care protocols to safeguard all patients, especially the most vulnerable,” the statement read.

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The directive follows an alleged baby theft at the Mamprobi Polyclinic in Accra on February 18, 2026. A woman is suspected to have taken the infant, an incident that has since triggered a nationwide review of safety procedures within public health facilities.

As part of the immediate steps outlined, the GHS has mandated stricter staff identification protocols. Health workers are now required to wear their uniforms and clearly visible name tags at all times while on duty within facility premises, a move intended to make it easier to distinguish authorised personnel from visitors.

Health facilities have also been directed to ensure constant and dedicated supervision at postnatal wards to enhance monitoring and reduce the risk of unauthorised access.

Management teams are expected to tighten oversight in maternity units, where newborns are particularly vulnerable.

Additionally, a compulsory discharge verification system is to be introduced across facilities. This measure will require thorough checks and confirmation processes before any patient, especially newborn babies, is discharged, in order to prevent mix-ups or unlawful removals.

The Service has further called for the upgrading and proper maintenance of CCTV infrastructure in hospitals and clinics to strengthen surveillance capabilities.

Alongside technological improvements, intensified staff training programmes are to be rolled out to heighten security awareness and reinforce adherence to patient care standards.

According to the Director-General, strict compliance with these measures is essential to preventing similar occurrences in the future and maintaining public confidence in the country’s healthcare system.



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AK/AM