The Rescued Baby Sleeping
A new born baby believed to be a day old has been rescued from a toilet pit at Sovie EP Basic School in the Kpando Municipality.
The baby, who is believed to have been left in the pit for more than six hours, was rescued last Wednesday, February 6, 2019, after its cry caught the attention of some users of the toilet.
An eyewitness, Kporvuvu Florence, who spoke to DAILY GUIDE, said she visited the school at about midday when the baby was rescued. According to her, two teachers accompanied by a pupil of the school reported that they had heard the cry of a baby in their school pit latrine.
She joined the headmaster of the school and some teachers to go and rescue the baby. When they entered the toilet, they could not see the baby from the sitting pot as the pit was engulfed in darkness.
When they went behind the toilet and accessed the pit from there, the baby which was crying profusely was found wrapped in a red cloth with the umbilical cord still attached, giving an indication that it was a freshly delivered baby.
The police were quickly alerted. They in turn alerted some personnel at the Social Welfare Office who took over the case.
An officer at the Kpando District Office of Social Welfare confirmed the incident, saying the baby had maggots all over its body when it was rescued.
He added that preliminary investigation suggested that the baby had been in the pit since early morning. This was because some children who used the toilet about that time said they heard the cry of the baby.
After the baby had been rescued, it was sent to a CHPS compound where the umbilical cord was cut before being transferred to the Margaret Marquette Catholic Hospital at Kpando.
Officials of the hospital said the baby was alive and responding to treatment.
The police and the Social Welfare Office have since commenced investigations to found out the person that dumped the baby inside the toilet pit. They are therefore appealing to the public to share timely information to help apprehend the perpetrator(s).
Meanwhile, the Social Welfare Office is appealing to the public, NGOs, philanthropists and individuals to make some donations to help cater for the baby.
From Fred Duodu, Kpando (k.duodu@yahoo.com)