The case of a bouncy baby boy who was allegedly taken away by a nurse of the Winneba Hospital but was declared dead moments later has entangled a couple and the hospital authorities in a legal battle at the Accra Human Rights High Court.
While the couple, Samuel Anane Barrigah and Linda Amissah, are accusing the hospital authorities of masterminding the disappearance of their baby, the authorities have denied any complicity in the matter, claiming the baby had died and been buried.
According to the baby�s parents, all demands on the authorities for them (parents) to see the dead body proved futile and so they were seeking an order to compel the hospital authorities to release the baby to them.
Consequently, the court has given an order for the body to be exhumed to enable a DNA test to be conducted to ascertain whether the baby buried could be the couple�s and the cause of death.
Also sued with the hospital are Mama Esther, a nurse; the Attorney-General, the Ghana Health Service and the Medical Superintendent of the Winneba Hospital.
Mr Raphael Alidjinah sued for the couple.
According to an affidavit deposed to by Linda Amissah, about 6.30 p.m. on July 19, 2011, she was delivered of Barrigah Jnr at the Kasoa Health Centre and she was transferred the following day to the Winneba Hospital because her blood pressure was high.
A medical prescription form signed on behalf of the Kasoa Health Centre and dated July 20, 2011 said: �Linda Amissah, 25, the above named client was referred on account of high blood pressure.��
Linda said she arrived at the Winneba Hospital about 12.30 p.m. on July 20, 2011, accompanied by her mother and a neighbour, and that on arrival she was admitted.
She said about 5 p.m. the same day, she was transfused (put on drips), adding that while she was receiving the drips, the baby lay in front of her.
Mama Esther, she said, came around and claimed that ��the baby was a beautiful baby�� and took him away from the bed, but five minutes later she heard the baby screaming very loudly, a situation which compelled her to demand that he be brought back, but her pleas were refused by Mama Esther and another woman on duty.
About 30 minutes later, she said, another nurse came for baby diapers without his mother being called to see him, only to be informed about 9 p.m. by a doctor and the nurses on duty that the baby was dead.
However, she said attempts by her and her mother to see the baby were resisted.
Linda said about 5.30 p.m., her husband received a call from the hospital authoritiess informing him that his son had died and been buried, without any instructions from them (the parents).
�At all material times my baby was healthy and we believe he had not died, as was claimed by the hospital officials,� she said.
However, after counsel for the couple, Mr Alidjinah, had written to the hospital demanding explanation relating to the disappearance of the baby, the hospital authorities, on August 1, 2011, in a letter signed by Dr Prah George Kwame, the acting Medical Superintendent of the hospital, said no baby had, indeed, disappeared from the hospital and that the said baby and the mother had been referred on account of post-partum delivery eclampsia (high blood pressure) with post-partum haemorrhage (bleeding vaginatum).
Dr Prah also deposed that it was during the management of the mother�s ailment that the baby was found to be pale and gasping and was, therefore, immediately taken to the labour ward for resuscitation, in the course of which he died.
He said records and meetings with the family indicated that the death was not in dispute but rather the family was not pleased with the burial process, which impasse was amicably resolved.
The medical superintendent, however, said cases of that nature were of prime concern to the Ghana Health Service and, therefore, the matter had been referred to the Central Regional Director of Health Services in Cape Coast.
He admitted that the mother was admitted on July 20, 2011 with post-delivery eclampsia (high blood pressure) and post-partum haemorrhage (bleeding vaginatum)) and it was during the course of giving her the necessary attention that Mama Esther went to see her and detected the baby was pale.
Dr Prah said the resuscitation proved unsuccessful, even though one Dr Dortey assisted, noting that before the baby could be transferred to Korle-Bu, he died about 7.30 p.m.
He said Grace Wirenkyiwaa and Agnes Opokuwaa, Linda�s relatives, were informed about the baby�s death and arrangements for the father to come.
According to Dr Prah, when the baby�s father arrived, the arrangement was that burial would be carried out at an agreed fee of GH�5 and the baby was, accordingly, buried at 6.30 a.m. on July 21, 2011 as agreed with the parents.
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