Missing Baby at Nakuru Hospital Raises Swap Concerns

The disappearance of seven-month-old Mercy Chepng’eno's body from the Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital has provoked significant outrage and allegations of negligence among her grieving family.

Mercy's parents, both members of the deaf community, are now grappling with the distressing possibility that their daughter could still be alive and may have been swapped with another deceased infant. This tragic incident began on February 2, when Sharon Saidi and her husband, Daniel Kipchirchir, admitted their ailing daughter to the hospital. Saidi recounted that a doctor administered an injection to Mercy later that evening, after which the baby became unresponsive.

In an alarming turn, Saidi's attempts to alert the nursing staff were reportedly disregarded, as they overlooked her due to her deafness. In a desperate move, Saidi called her husband for assistance. Upon his arrival, they discovered Mercy’s body wrapped and marked as deceased. However, their attempts to view their daughter’s body were met with resistance from hospital staff, who only permitted them to see the name tag but withheld the body itself.

The hospital's failure to present Mercy’s remains has raised serious suspicions within the family about potential foul play. The situation has brought to light the significant barriers faced by individuals with disabilities when navigating medical systems. Martin Njoroge, Vice Chairperson of the Deaf Community in Nakuru, has indicated plans to organize protests should the hospital not offer explanations within the next 72 hours. Days have passed since Mercy’s alleged death, yet the hospital has not clarified her current status.

The family, who began preparing for a burial, now remains in a state of uncertainty. To further complicate matters, the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has been called to investigate, and the family is demanding access to CCTV footage from the hospital to assist in resolving the matter. Expressing their frustration, Mercy's father says that seeing his daughter's body would have offered some closure, but the hospital's refusal, coupled with their focus on billing, has intensified their suspicions.