Hospital suspends nurse accused of stealing baby
A mother and her newborn. Avenue Hospital in Kisumu on March 11, 2018 suspended a nurse who was arrested on March 9, 2018 on suspicion of stealing a newborn. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
- The hospital management said it secured the newborn as soon as it received information of a possible baby theft.
- It the alerted the police.
- The nurse is in custody as police investigate.
Avenue Hospital in Kisumu has suspended a nurse suspected of stealing a newborn baby.
The nurse is currently being held at Kondele Police Station for questioning.
SUSPENDED
She was arrested by police on Friday at the facility after colleagues raised the alarm.
On Sunday, Avenue Hospital’s group managing director Dr Denis Ogolla said the management had no prior knowledge of the nurse’s actions.
In a statement, Dr Ogolla said: “Avenue Hospital, Kisumu, does not condone the behaviour of the nurse and she has been suspended from duty pending the police investigation.
“The hospital management acted upon the information as soon as it came to light by securing the baby’s health and safety and then immediately notified the police, resulting in the subsequent police investigation,” said Dr Ogolla.
SUSPECT
The nurse is said to have taken the child for clinic, claiming to be its mother.
But colleagues said she had not been pregnant.
Kisumu OCPD Christopher Mutune said they have launched investigations into the matter.
“She was arrested [for being in] possession of the kid suspected to have been stolen.
“We will only release her after we have verified what transpired. We will not hesitate to charge her if she is found to have stolen the baby,” Mr Mutune said.
“We are still not aware whether the baby was stolen or not. The investigation is on.”
