VIDEO: High Court Orders DNA Test on Detained Baby Amidst Hospital’s Alleged Extortion
Kampala, August 30, 2023 – In a dramatic turn of events, High Court Judge Esta Nambayo has ruled that Rosewell Women and Children Hospital in Kampala must facilitate a DNA test on a three-month-old baby allegedly detained at birth due to unpaid nursery fees. The decision follows the parents’ failure to identify the child in court, prompting concerns about the baby’s true parentage.
The order was issued at the request of Geoffrey Turyamusiima, the couple’s lawyer, who sought a DNA test after the mother, Soloome Alinda, failed to recognize the infant as her own. The court had previously instructed the hospital to produce the baby, allowing the couple to pay a partial amount in cash and the remainder in installments. However, when the child was presented in court by Baby Care home Loving Hearts, Alinda expressed her inability to identify her son, stating that she had not seen him for the past three months.
In response to the parents’ concerns, Turyamusiima urged the court to compel Rosewell Hospital to cover the expenses for a DNA test at a government analytical laboratory to establish the baby’s true parentage. Shockingly, it was revealed during proceedings that the hospital had taken the child to Central Police Station Kampala, reporting him as an abandoned infant several weeks ago after allegedly detaining him. The baby was subsequently handed over to Loving Hearts following intervention by the police and the KCCA probation office.
Disputing the hospital’s claims, the parents vehemently deny abandoning their newborn and assert that Rosewell Hospital unlawfully detained their child when they failed to settle an additional sum of Shs4.4 million. They further allege that the hospital refused their request to pay the outstanding bill in instalments, resorting to threats of selling their baby to Sanyu Baby’s Home in Kampala.
The High Court has scheduled a hearing on September 5, 2023, to review the DNA test results, which are expected to shed light on the disputed parentage. The couple’s lawsuit against the hospital centers on allegations of extortion and the hospital’s refusal to release their child until all outstanding bills were settled.
UPDATE: High Court has ordered a DNA test on a newborn baby who was allegedly detained by RosWell Hospital in Kampala after the child's parents failed to pay Shs4m medical bills.
The parents of the baby, through their lawyer Geoffrey Turyamusiima, said they are not sure if the… pic.twitter.com/skXfqKFVeb
— Daily Monitor (@DailyMonitor) August 30, 2023