Exactly 36 days ago, a baffling incident occurred at chilly dawn at the Webuye County Hospital, Bungoma county.
At about 4am, someone walked into the hospital with a day-old infant, dumped him on a cold rusty trolly and disappeared without a trace. Just moments earlier, a patient had died on the trolley.
The person took dirty hospital linen from the floor and covered the baby before fleeing. A nurse and cleaner heard cries emanate from the folded clothes.
At first, they did not give it a serious thought. The cries, however, persisted and on checking, they found the boy fighting for his life. He had difficulties breathing.
The employees picked him up and rushed him to a newborn unit. A team of nurses and doctors did all they could to protect the young life. They succeeded and named him Moses.
Meanwhile, a search was launched to locate the person who dumped him. Webuye police came on board. The culprit has yet to be found and no one has come to claim Moses.
On Saturday, hospital boss Simon Kisaka said they managed to get Moses out of danger after two weeks.
He said the baby is getting proper care. Employees have been donating clothes, diapers and petroleum jelly for the cause. They feed, babysit and clean him regularly. Baby Moses has become such a darling.
“The staff come to the newborn unit to babysit and feed him and 36 days down the line, the prince is healthy, charming and jovial,” Kisaka said.
Dr Antony Akoto thanked the hospital administration and employees for supporting the child.
“I’m so touched by my colleagues, nurses in the NBU, David Chonge and Sr Grace Oniango,” he said.
“As Newborn Unit staff, we named this miracle Baby Moses just like the biblical Moses who was found abandoned in a basket in a river. Baby Moses has received his vaccination and is very strong.”
Catherine Nereti, a nurse, urged the Children’s department and well-wishers to come and help integrate him into a family setup.
She said this will protect him against psychosocial trauma that comes with spending his early days without parental bonding. The mental health impact could last long and efforts must be made to prevent it, she said.
Akoto urged couples or individuals who would want to adopt the baby to follow legal procedures so young Moses can finally have a place to call home.
(Edited by F'Orieny)
