Police chase mother who abandoned baby after delivery

The Paga District Police Command has mounted a search for a mother who abandoned her newborn baby girl in the maternity ward of the Paga District Hospital.

The woman, identified as 29-year old Christiana Akamlu, according to hospital authorities, reported to the facility on Sunday in her second stage of labour and was admitted and safely delivered a baby girl at about 3 pm same day.

She, however, ran away from the facility in the early hours of Monday morning after she had told nurses in the ward she was stepping out to wash herself and clothes.

The mother has since then failed to return to her child despite efforts by the hospital to reunite the baby and mother.

The development has been reported to the police in the area and a search for the “runaway mother” has been launched.

“Around 2:50 of Sunday afternoon, Madam Christiana Akamlu came to the hospital to deliver. She came through second stage. Around 3: 00 pm, she delivered a healthy baby girl. But the next day, which was Monday morning at about 6: 00am, she said she was going to wash herself and other things and come back. Since then we've never seen her again. She disappeared. And all our efforts to trace her have been fruitless.

“We have called to report to the police about what has happened. We have involved the Social Welfare too”.

“The baby is in the maternity ward of the Paga District Hospital very healthy and doing very well”. Afishata Seidu Bogobiri, Matron of the Paga District Hospital disclosed.

Superintendent Ebenezer Benson, the Kasena- Nankana Municipal Police Commander who doubles as acting Commander for the Paga command, confirmed the story and said the police have set up a team to investigate the circumstance that led to the desertion of the newborn baby.

He said the police have made announcements on local radio stations appealing to community members to come out and assist them with information that will lead to the arrest of the mother.

Superintendent Benson indicated that the police have so far been able to pick some intelligence and that some arrests will be made to assist with the investigation.

He appealed to people living within the Paga, Navrongo, Chiana and Builsa areas “to volunteer information to the police on women who were once pregnant and have delivered but are not with their babies”.

As at the time of filing this report, the infant was in good health and in the care of the hospital. The district social welfare department had also visited and joint efforts are being made to ensure the wellbeing of the newborn baby girl.