After scandalous viral video: Douala Laquintinie Hospital Director says "no baby stolen" from hospital.

Prof Essomba's outing, through a press release dated April 3, 2023, informed the public that the video circulating on social media failed to relay the truth on the stolen baby incident at Laquntinie. 

He said the information is likely to bring shame on the health system of the country as a whole and of the said health institution in particular. The hospital Director termed the situation "embarrassing".

He said contrary to what was relayed, the lady concerned came to the hospital with "an inevitable late abortion, expelled a non-viable fetus". 

The release said, it was one of the hospital's trainees who had escaped the vigilance of midwives, who had evacuated the expelled fetus in the septic tank. 

According to a video footage circulating on several social media platforms, the said stolen baby's mother, Bell Esther Aurelie, is said to have arrived the hospital the around 10 P.M. on Thursday March 30, and was delivered of the baby at 1a.m. on Friday. But she had not seen the baby since it was born.

From all indications, her newborn baby had disappeared immediately after she was delivered that Friday.

She explained in the video that she was bewildered at the ‘vague’ explanation given to her by the midwives – that the baby died at birth and was thrown into a septic tank. But she believes the baby was stolen.

“I put to birth three days ago, that was one month to my due date. I was later told by the medical staff that the baby was thrown in a Septic tank,” she recounted. 

In pains, she said when she arrived at the hospital, she was "seriously in pains and was bleeding heavily". 

The midwives, who had admitted her into the delivery room, refused entry to her family members as it is the norm in most hospitals.  

However, the explanations given to Bell and her family was received with much constraints, which sparked misunderstandings between the hospital staff and the lady's family.

“I was left on my own when a midwife came to me, presenting herself as Ariel. She helped me to put to birth since I was eight months pregnant. But before that, she had reminded me that my baby is premature and that if the child comes out alive, it will be put in an incubator, but if the baby dies, my family and I would be handed the corpse. I said, may the will of God be done,” Bell explained 

“I then gave birth to my baby normally, not through an operation. After that, I was cleaned up. All they told me was that the child came out in pieces. I began crying. They confused my husband and my sister-in-law with some documents, asking them to fill some forms, instead of presenting the remains to them,” she added. 

Bell Esther and her family say the hospital is keeping their child from them and they feel unsafe and they think there is a foul play. But hospital personnel have maintained that the fetus was non-viable and had been discarded.

According to Prof Prof Noël Essomba, the main problem ensued from misunderstanding and poor communication between the staff and the family. He said he has ordered for investigations and has had a meeting between both parties. 

For now, the hospital's management has assured the public that all has been put in place to restore serenity and avoid future damages.