Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has revealed that the four-day-old baby boy who was recently stolen from Mamprobi Polyclinic was running a temperature when he was recovered.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Wednesday, the Minister said medical experts were quickly brought in to attend to the newborn due to his fragile condition.

Her comments follow the recent baby theft incident, which sparked public concern after a woman disguised as a nurse allegedly took the child from the postnatal ward of Mamprobi Hospital.

“The umbilical cord is yet to completely come off. And initially, we hesitated in bringing the news out until we were very certain it was actually the baby,” she said.

• Read also: Baby stolen from Mamprobi Polyclinic recovered; suspect arrested

Dr. Lartey added that upon recovery, it became clear the baby had developed a fever, raising urgent health concerns.

“We realised also that the baby was running a temperature. And of course, a newborn baby, four days and out of the hospital, had a little medical issue even before he was taken away,” she said.

The Minister further revealed that the baby’s mother, who had undergone a caesarean section delivery, was also experiencing feverish symptoms, worsened by stress and poor eating since the child was taken.

Medical teams, she said, have since been deployed to care for both mother and child.

Dr. Lartey also announced that President John Dramani Mahama has stepped in to cover all medical expenses, including the cost of psychosocial support.

“His Excellency John Dramani Mahama is taking up the medical bills and everything that will come, including the cost of providing psychosocial support for mother and child and even the suspects,” she stated.