Police in Mulanje district are keeping in custody a 30 year old woman for stealing a new born child at the district’s hospital.

According to Mulanje Police Publicist Gresham Ngwira, the incident happened on the day the baby’s mother was discharged from the hospital, February 10, 2020 after  the mother went to the pharmacy to collect drugs and left the baby in the care of her guardian.

“A woman who disguised as a well-wisher approached the guardian saying that the baby’s mother had asked her to bring the baby to the pharmacy, that’s how the baby disappeared,” said Ngwira.

“When we got hold of the issue, we instituted our investigations, and people of goodwill approached us with some tips which helped to arrest the suspect, Dorothy Mponda of Traditional Authority Mabuka in the same district,” explained Ngwira.

But however, commenting on the matter, a renowned health right activist in the country, Dorothy Ngoma, has faulted the carelessness of the guardians and the hospital’s security system saying they led to the incident.

“This is total carelessness of both the guardians and the health facility’s system,” said Ngoma.

Ngoma has since advised government to intensify awareness of child care and motherhood skills in ante-natal clinics.