By: Joy Odor/Kaduna
The Child Protection Network (CPN) has called on the Kaduna State Government that as a matter of urgency do all within its power to curb the menace of child disappearances in communities and public institutions.
The Network made the call in a 2 page letter written to the State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai Tagged: “Letter of Request for Thorough Investigation into the Case of Missing Baby at the Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial General Hospital” Tudun-Wada on Wednesday, 10th January, 2018 through its State Co-ordinator, Mallam Abdullahi Tanimu on Tuesday.
In the letter, it condemned in strong terms the disappearance of a baby delivered through a caesarean section by a deaf mother Hajiya Salamatu whose father Mallam Kabiru also deaf in the aforementioned health facility.
The Network informed that it is unfortunate that while the state is campaigning for increase in antenatal attendance of 43% as against 92.2% in Ekiti, the State is also working to measure up to States such as Anambra with institutional delivery of 96.5% as against 35.4% in Kaduna, pointing out that the missing baby incidents will now create situations to counter the achievement.
The Network was of the opinion that to restore the confidence of the expectant mothers and forestall future occurrence such as this, Mallam El-Rufai should launch a thorough investigation into the incident and the culprits be brought to book to serve as deterrent to others.
“Ensure that the security of our health facilities is manned by adequate and competent security personnel.
“Install surveillance cameras in strategic locations within and around the specialist and General Hospitals across the state.
“One nurse per-ward is grossly inadequate particularly in the maternity ward of a hospital like Yusuf Dantsoho with an average delivery of 300 per month.
“Government is therefore advised to consider engaging retired nurses and midwives with satisfactory records on month to month bases pending the time students of the School of Health Technology will be able to provide such service.
“We firmly believed in the commitment of Governor El-Rufia to render services to all citizens of Kaduna State irrespective of physical or mental status” It lamented.
The Child Protection Network in addition to their effort to locate the missing baby of Salamatu is therefore offering a reward of about 200 thousand naira to anyone with information that would led to the discovery of the missing baby.
