The Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has instructed health facilities nationwide to installed Closed-Circuit Television toenforce security measures strictly after a baby was stolen at Mamprobi Polyclinic.
He gave this directive during a visit to Mamprobi Polyclinic, the Nursing and Midwifery Training School at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, and James Town Ussher Polyclinic.
The purpose of the visit was to evaluate conditions at these institutions and review the security measures put in place after the incident.
While discussing the stolen baby case at Mamprobi Polyclinic, Mr. Akandoh warned against speculation, emphasizing that investigations are still in progress.
“You cannot pre-empt the investigations. Whether someone will be held accountable, punished, or sanctioned will depend on the findings,” he said, highlighting that it would be inappropriate to comment further until the investigation is concluded.
The management at Mamprobi Polyclinic informed the Minister about the security lapses that allowed the suspect to enter the ward. The woman, who was dressed in scrubs, pretended to be a nurse and accessed the postnatal ward under the guise of giving medication before leaving with the baby during a morning shift change.
Authorities recognized that the suspect did not have an identification tag, which was a significant security failure identified after the incident.
They also mentioned that although security personnel were present, the officer had temporarily left for patrol at that moment. CCTV footage captured the suspect, which helped in her identification.
In response, the management has enhanced security protocols. These measures include mandatory name tags for all health professionals, issuing labelled identification tags to approved relatives, implementing a visitor logbook system, and strictly enforcing visiting hours limited to specific morning and evening times.
In addition to security, the talks also covered issues related to infrastructure and staffing. Management requested an expansion of the postnatal block to enhance supervision and provide more room for mothers and babies in a centralized area.
Although some areas of the old building have been renovated recently, space limitations are still a problem.
Mr. Akandoh promised management that more discussions would take place to seek further government assistance, while emphasizing that following established protocols is essential to avoid similar issues in the future.