The new complex of South Sudan's main referral hospital /Lou Nelson/Eye Radio

Security personnel at Juba Teaching Hospital on Thursday apprehended a woman who allegedly attempted to steal a newborn child, a health official said. 

According to JTH Medical Director, Dr. Anthony Lupai, the incident happened at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Ward.

Dr. Lupai said the suspect whom he declined to name, had offered to help the mother by taking the child for vaccination, before she later disappeared with the infant.

“There is a Uganda lady who delivered a baby on Tuesday, and today (Thursday) morning, a certain woman from South Sudan came and offered to help her by taking the baby to vaccination, she took the baby down for vaccination and she disappeared with the baby,” he narrated.

“Later, the relative of the woman who delivered came and asked about the new baby she answered them, saying that there is a lady who took the baby for vaccination but not yet back.”

Lupai said after the mother reported the incident, security officers traced the incident on a CCTV camera and identified the suspect, leading to her arrest.

“During the investigation, they discovered that this suspect lady was here the day before, and she help another woman by taking her child for vaccination and she brought the child back to his mother but this one she left runway with him.”

In an interview with Eye Radio, the medical official said the baby has been reunited with his mother – a Ugandan national.

Dr Lupai revealed that the administration has installed surveillance cameras to monitor work within the hospital.

He is urging patients not to handover children to anyone without a hospital uniform.

“In the hospital, we have our staff who are in uniform, so if there is anyone who offer you help alleging that he is from staff, make sure he is in the hospital uniform.”

“Because the hospital staff may think this person is your relative and your relative may thing this is hospital staff, so our staff are usual are wearing a uniform.”

“Whoever ever going to do such a thing in the hospital is identification we know the new build has cameras which trace and identify anything done in the facility and the security did their part to identify the culprits.”