BULAWAYO – A one-month-old baby girl has been found dumped next to a busy road in Bulawayo, police said.
The baby was wrapped in a green and pink baby towel and left under a tree near Fairbridge on the Bulawayo-Harare Road, police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said.
The infant was found by passers-by at around 4PM on Wednesday, and is not believed to have been there too long.
“Investigations are ongoing to identify and locate the mother. The baby was sent to Mpilo Hospital for further management,” Nyathi said.
Mpilo Central Hospital Acting CEO Prof Solwayo Ngwenya said the baby had been exposed to cold weather after it rained overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.
“Our people are caring for the child. She was exposed to the cold and so there are issues of hypothermia there. We’re trying to stabilise the child. She should pull through,” Ngwenya told ZimLive by phone.
Ngwenya said they received an average 10 babies who would have been dumped by their mothers each year.
“It’s a very sad issue. It’s terrible to think a mother can dump their child, leave them to the elements at their most vulnerable. It’s very heartless and inhumane,” Ngwenya said.
“We are hoping the mother will turn up and hopefully she gets the help she needs.”
Ngwenya said they were liaising with social services who are ultimately responsible for abandoned children.
