Hospital authorities return baby to his parents

Nkawkaw, Sept 22, GNA - The authorities of the Nkawkaw Holy Family Hospital on Tuesday returned the 3-and-half-month old baby of a disabled mother detained by the hospital over the non-payment of accumulated delivery bills to his parents following media publication on the issue.

At a meeting organized by the Kwahu South District Director of Health Services, Dr Joseph Larbi Opare, with the hospital's authorities and the Department of Social Welfare, a middle-aged woman who was taking care of the baby handed him to the District Social Welfare Director, Mr Andrews Owusu-Mensah who in turn handed him over to the grandmother, Madam Akua Nyamekye.

Speaking to the GNA after the meeting, Dr Opare said the hospital did not detain the baby but "took into consideration the disabled condition of the baby's mother and the inability of her parents to settle her delivery bills and decided to hand over the baby to a woman on humanitarian grounds to care for it."

He said the woman spent 2,645,000 cedis and not 5 million cedis, as published, for feeding, clothing and medical care for the past three months.

Dr Opare said the parents of the woman signed an undertaking to pay the amount within 40 days.

The District Social Welfare Director advised the parents to take good care of the baby for him to grow up to become a responsible citizen to contribute towards national development.