‘Mulago baby was not swapped’
Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson Patrick Onyango explains DNA results to Mr James Zeera, the lawyer representing Mr Fred Sanyu (R) and Ms Lovinsa Anyongire (seated) who lost their baby at Mulago Hospital on January 2. PHOTO BY RACHEL MABALA
What you need to know:
Revealed. DNA results prove that indeed the complainants are the true parents of the deceased child
KAMPALA.
The couple who say their new born baby was exchanged for a dead one, has expressed dissatisfaction over the DNA results released by police yesterday.
The results that were delivered to the parents at Mulago police station indicated that the body of the deceased baby belongs to Mr Fred Sanyu and Ms Lovence Anyongire, residents of Kasubi, a Kampala suburb.
The couple had complained to police about Mulago hospital’s laxity and believed that although the wife had given birth to a live baby, they were presented with a dead one. When they complained about it not being theirs, they were later presented with another baby whom they say was strangled to death.
Ms Anyongire could not hold her tears as the DNA results were revealed by the Kampala metropolitan police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Onyango.
“The DNA analysis report indicates that the complainants are the biological parents to the dead baby. The postmortem report also indicates that the baby died while still in the womb. This confirms that the baby was neither strangled nor swapped as suspected by the couple. There was also no tampering with the baby,” Mr Onyango said.
The couple, however, expressed disbelief. “How can you deliver a dead baby and it cries?” Ms Anyongire asked as tears fell down her cheeks.
Body rejected
Mr Sanyu said they were not ready to take the body of the baby because he believed the body wasn’t that of his baby.
Blood samples had earlier been taken from both parents and the body to ascertain the rightful parentage following a disagreement between Mulago hospital staff and the couple over the parentage of the baby.
The hospital authorities said the mother was admitted to the hospital, on January 2, when the foetus was already dead and that she was informed about it. But the couple told Daily Monitor they were never informed about the state of their unborn child.
Hospital reacts
Mulago hospital executive director Byarugaba Baterana said the DNA results are what they expected. He explained that the ultra sound confirmed that the baby had died at the time the mother was being admitted. “We should actually sue this couple for tarnishing our name but we have forgiven them. This should be a warning to those who waste our time. We are for saving life and not killing people,” he said.
Byarugaba said parents should always go to hospital on time to avoid such incidents.
