High Court Judge Esta Nambayo has ordered Rosewell Women and Children Hospital in Kampala to facilitate a DNA test on a now three-month-old baby it allegedly detained at childbirth after the parents failed to clear Shs4.4 million in nursery fees despite the couple having paid five million for the Caesarean birth.
Justice Namboyo issued the order after the couple’s lawyer Geoffrey Turyamusiima requested for a DNA test after the mother failed to identify the toddler as her own.
On Wednesday morning, Nambayo ordered Rosewell hospital to produce the baby in court after the health facility allowed the couple to pay one million in cash and pay the balance in installments.
However, when the baby was produced in court by Loving Hearts, a baby care home, Soloome Alinda (the mother) informed court that she was not in position to identify her son since she had not seen him for the past three months.
The parents through their lawyer Turyamusiima then asked court to compel Rosewell Hospital to pay for the said DNA test at a government analytical laboratory to ascertain the baby’s parents.
Meanwhile, court further learnt that the hospital took the baby to Central Police Station Kampala and reported him as an abandoned child a few weeks ago after allegedly detaining it.
A representative from Loving Hearts informed court that police and the KCCA probation office contacted them before handing over the baby.
However, the parents insist that they did not abandon their newborn baby, explaining that the hospital detained the child after they failed to raise another Shs4.4 million.
These have been ordered to return to court on September 5, 2023, when the DNA results are expected to be ready.
The couple dragged the hospital to court, accusing the facility of refusing to release their child until they cleared all the outstanding bills. They claim that the hospital denied them a chance to pay the said bill in installments.
The couple also accuses the hospital of threatening to sell their baby to Sanyu Baby’s Home in Kampala if they failed to clear the said Shs4.4 million bill.
