Thelma Chidakwa, 20, received some photographs of a living
baby on her WhatsApp contact number from an anonymous person but later got news
that hers had died.
This triggered the speculation that her baby was exchanged
with a dead one by the midwives. Chitungwiza Central Hospital Acting Chief
Executive Officer, Dr Michael Chiwanga said the body would undergo a DNA tests
only when the family seeks permission from the courts of law.
“We admitted a maternity patient on the 11th of November
2020 and gave birth to a baby boy,” said Dr Chiwanga.
“The 20-year-old woman refused to accept giving birth to a
still baby and the medical records I received clearly show that.
“One of the family members threatened to sleep at the
mortuary demanding DNA tests to be carried on the body with a belief that her
baby was exchanged soon after giving birth.
“Records of labour stages were taken and two midwives led
by sister Muronzi attended her and the results show that the baby was born
dead.
“The body does not belong to the family when dead and that
is why we asked them to take a legal process before the body is taken for
maternity DNA testing of the mother, father and body.
“They engaged Global DNA Zimbabwe and it’s a private
company hence the need to seek permission from the courts of law.
“We are very sure that the body belongs to the patient in
question and if the DNA test results came negative we will contest them.
“I do agree that incidences where babies are exchanged
happen but we never had such a case here.
“This is the first report we received where a couple
demands DNA tests to be carried on a body of a newly born baby with a view to
know if it belongs to the mother and father.
“Our human resources manager has been asked by police to
produce a request for the matter to be taken before the courts of law and is
still to report back,” said Dr Chiwanga.
Thelma’s mother Dadirayi Mutamera said the way the midwives
conveyed the message of birth and death raised more questions leading them to
suspect that ‘their’ baby is alive.
“I took my daughter to the hospital around midday and we
received a message at 1930hrs from one of the sisters congratulating us for a
normal delivery and birth of the child,” said Mutamera.
“Within some minutes Thelma phoned telling us that the baby
had passed on and asked us to rush there.
“The sisters who were on duty discouraged us from
travelling during the night since the child had passed on.
“She asked us if we were interested in viewing the body and
quickly asked for permission to attend to a patient who was in the labour ward
in a way to discourage us from viewing the body.
“From 11th of November until today we have been raising
questions and apart from that, an anonymous person sent some photographs of the
baby to Thelma’s WhatsApp contact number.
“We showed them the photographs and how we received them
but they held a meeting privately and we do not know what they discussed.
“A male police officer assigned to the mortuary called us
and threatened us ordering us to collect the body for burial and we refused his
orders.
“We agreed with the authorities to engage our private
company to take the body for DNA tests and the hospital would engage their own
to carry the same tests.
“They made a u-turn and are now asking us to approach the
courts of law for an order for DNA tests but police are arguing that no docket
was opened by any of us but it is our right to take it for tests,” said
Mutamera. H Metro
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