Prime
Teenage mothers abandon babies in city incubators
Premature babies in an incubator. Kawempe Women’s Referral Hospital says it is stuck with two babies who were abandoned by two teenage mothers who delivered them prematurely. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- In a related development, Col Edith Nakalema, the head of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, on Friday visited the hospital to appreciate the health workers and the hospital leadership for, among other things, curbing theft of babies.
Kawempe Women’s Referral Hospital says it is stuck with two babies who were abandoned by two teenage mothers who delivered them prematurely.
In an interview on Friday, Dr Nekemiah Katusiime, the executive director of the hospital, said the two teenage mothers delivered the babies prematurely on their way to the hospital. “Every week we get at least one baby abandoned in the hospital, currently we have two, the mother was 15 years and produced prematurely on the road and abandoned the baby in the incubator, even the second one,” he said.
Dr Nekemiah said they are working with the police and their social workers to take the infants to babies homes.
“Mothers abandon babies due to a number of reasons, it could be marital problems, and with Covid-19, many got pregnant unintentionally,” he said.
In a related development, Col Edith Nakalema, the head of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, on Friday visited the hospital to appreciate the health workers and the hospital leadership for, among other things, curbing theft of babies.
“In the middle of Covid-19 last year, a young couple’s baby was exchanged with a dead body, but you rescued the baby from the people who wanted to steal the baby. We had people stealing drugs and sundries and you alerted us. You also sent your ambulance to Mityana to pick up eight-year-old, Winnie Mutesi, who was tortured and had septic wounds. You have saved many lives and we are here to thank you,” she said.
Dr Nekemiah said their biggest challenge is the overwhelming number of mothers delivering at the hospital with the low manpower.
