Baby Born To Adjiri

A bouncy baby boy was on Tuesday afternoon born and named after Nii Adjiri Blankson, Mayor of Accra, at the new pedestrian market at Odawna near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra.

The baby was delivered by a homeless 18-year-old teenager, Eunice Morgan, and its umbilical cord severed with a sharp new blade by two traders at the market.

When DAILY GUIDE got to the market at about 3.30pm, Eunice had been conveyed with her new-born baby to the Ridge Hospital with the assistance of some women who sell at the market.

According to eyewitness accounts, Eunice was earlier seen loitering around the market when all of a sudden, she leaned against a wall and considering her facial expression and posture, the women traders realized she was in pain. As they approached her, they saw bloodstains in her trousers, which made them realize that she was in labour. At that instance, most of the traders around offered her their cloths which were used to cover her waist as they coaxed her to deliver the baby.

Bloodstains were all over the scene of delivery and the traders tried to conceal this with saw dust.

Eunice and her baby were in the labour ward of the Ridge Hospital where the mother was being attended to by a midwife, Madam Felicia Adu –Asante at 4.00pm when DAILY GUIDE got there.

In an interview, the midwife said the baby and the mother were in very good condition, saying Eunice had a perineum tear which was stitched. She explained further that the teenage mother would be admitted over-night and then discharged the next day.

“She would be given to the hospital's social worker and thereafter be taken to the Social Welfare Department,” she said.

When DAILY GUIDE asked Eunice where she would go after she has been discharged, she said while sobbing, “I have nowhere to go in Accra, please help me”.

Eunice, who looked unkempt, was wearing a violet Lacoste shirt with a yellow cloth wrapped around her waist. She disclosed that she hails from Sefwi-Bekwai in the Western Region and has no relative in Accra, adding that for sometime now, she has been sleeping at the Freedom and Justice Park, near Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

The two women who brought her to the hospital, Madam Beatrice and Florence Otoo, both cloth dealers, in an interview, confirmed the account of the eyewitness.

According to Madam Beatrice, she personally cut the umbilical cord to separate the mother and child with a new sharp blade after which another Good Samaritan conveyed them in a taxi to the hospital. She added that many traders in the market contributed some monies which amounted to GH¢25 to assist in taking the young mother to the hospital. Madam Florence also said she bought her some pampers, baby napkins, Dettol, second-hand clothing and a piece of cloth.

On Wednesday morning when DAILY GUIDE got to the hospital, Eunice and her baby were doing well, according to the senior nursing officer in charge of the labour ward, Madam Rebecca Larkai. She explained that the teenage mother would be interviewed by the hospital's social worker after which she would be discharged.

Eunice Morgan claimed to have completed Senior High School at Yaa Asantewaa Senior High School last year, disclosing that she studied Business Accounting and aspires to become a banker.

She noted that she would like to name her child after the Mayor Accra, Mr Stanley Adjiri Blankson because most of the traders had already started calling the child Adjiri Blankson.

After a little persuasion, Eunice disclosed the name of the baby's father as Godwin Agyepong, also a teenage graduate of Swedru Senior High School. She said her parents were financially handicapped, hence her departure to Accra to work for some money.

According to her, she was unaware of her pregnancy until she visited a hospital in Accra some seven months ago.

In the meantime, she said when she is discharged from the hospital, she would like to live with either of the two women who sent her to the hospital until she returns to Sefwi Bekwai.

When Madam Beatrice was asked how she would cater for the teenage mother and baby, she said she would again appeal to the traders at the market to contribute some monies to enable her to send Eunice and the baby to her relatives.

“To me, this child is a blessing to the entire market and we believe it is a sign of a good omen to the traders here,” she emphasized. Another trader appealed to the general public and the AMA boss to come to the aid of the teenage mother.

By Mabel Abotsivia