News / National
Newborn baby dumped at Galen House
23 Apr 2016 at 07:46hrs | Views
A WOMAN dumped her newborn baby at a hospital in Bulawayo yesterday afternoon and was arrested hours later when she returned looking for the tot. The woman, identified as Lydia Ndiweni, allegedly gave birth on Thursday and dumped the baby at Galen House medical centre after a misunderstanding with the baby's father.
Ndiweni works for a bus company in the city. A hospital source said: "We heard she was frustrated after a row with the baby's father. It's thought that he was denying paternity."
The woman arrived at the medical centre in a taxicab. "I asked her if she had come to see a doctor but she just smiled at me and said nothing," a security guard told The Chronicle.
"As I was coming from lunch, I saw a heap of blankets in a wheel chair. As I drew closer, I realised it was a baby and next to him were a few pampers. "I looked around for the mother but couldn't locate her. I informed the sister-in-charge, of the incident."
Dr Nicholas Ndebele, who was on duty, said it saddens him to see people being so cruel to children.
Sister Esther Phiri, the nurse who was tending to the child, said the baby's umbilical cord had not yet fallen indicating that he had just been born.
"It's so painful. How can a mother do this to her child? I'm just glad that she didn't kill him. God will bless this child and he'll live through this terrible incident that has befallen him so early in his life," said Sister Phiri.
Ndiweni was being held at Bulawayo Central Police Station last night.
Last week, Mpilo Central Hospital said it was looking for the mother of two children — a boy aged three and his nine-month-old sister — after she dumped them at the hospital and vanished on February 4.
The woman, whose daughter was unwell, had arrived at the hospital on January 24. She was allowed to be admitted with the boy after claiming there was no-one to look after him.
Hospital officials, who believe she planned the baby dumping, say she rubbed out her name and address on the child's hospital card, frustrating their efforts to trace her.
Ndiweni works for a bus company in the city. A hospital source said: "We heard she was frustrated after a row with the baby's father. It's thought that he was denying paternity."
The woman arrived at the medical centre in a taxicab. "I asked her if she had come to see a doctor but she just smiled at me and said nothing," a security guard told The Chronicle.
"As I was coming from lunch, I saw a heap of blankets in a wheel chair. As I drew closer, I realised it was a baby and next to him were a few pampers. "I looked around for the mother but couldn't locate her. I informed the sister-in-charge, of the incident."
Dr Nicholas Ndebele, who was on duty, said it saddens him to see people being so cruel to children.
Sister Esther Phiri, the nurse who was tending to the child, said the baby's umbilical cord had not yet fallen indicating that he had just been born.
"It's so painful. How can a mother do this to her child? I'm just glad that she didn't kill him. God will bless this child and he'll live through this terrible incident that has befallen him so early in his life," said Sister Phiri.
Ndiweni was being held at Bulawayo Central Police Station last night.
Last week, Mpilo Central Hospital said it was looking for the mother of two children — a boy aged three and his nine-month-old sister — after she dumped them at the hospital and vanished on February 4.
The woman, whose daughter was unwell, had arrived at the hospital on January 24. She was allowed to be admitted with the boy after claiming there was no-one to look after him.
Hospital officials, who believe she planned the baby dumping, say she rubbed out her name and address on the child's hospital card, frustrating their efforts to trace her.
Source - the herald
