By Alfred Opio
Patients and attendants at Pallisa General Hospital were left in shock after a woman delivered a baby with severe physical deformities, causing panic in the maternity ward and attracting crowds within the hospital premises.
The unusual incident occurred when Kannifer Nakoma, a resident of Majawo Village in Goli-Goli Sub County, Kibuku District, was rushed to the hospital after developing labour pains.
According to eyewitnesses, Nakoma was first taken to the labour ward but experienced difficulties delivering normally. Medical workers later transferred her to the theatre where doctors performed an operation in an effort to save both the mother and the baby.
The baby, a male, was delivered with serious deformities including an exposed skull, an unusually wide mouth and eyes positioned abnormally high on the head.
The condition reportedly shocked patients and attendants in the maternity ward, with some running out of the ward and even outside the hospital compound after seeing the baby. The incident also attracted curious onlookers from other sections of the hospital who rushed to the maternity wing to witness what had happened.
Despite the condition, the baby is said to still be alive. However, health workers say the infant is unable to breastfeed due to the unusually large mouth and is currently surviving on milk that attendants buy.
Speaking to reporters, Kannifer Nakoma said she experienced a normal pregnancy without any complications until the time she went into labour.
“This is my first baby. During pregnancy I did not experience any problems. I only started having difficulties when I was brought to the hospital to give birth,” she said with sorrow.
Nakoma has now appealed to well-wishers and medical specialists for support, saying she hopes doctors may be able to help treat or manage the child’s condition.
The incident has sparked mixed reactions among some medical workers at Pallisa General Hospital. While some suggested the deformities could be linked to medical or genetic factors that require professional investigation, others expressed differing opinions about possible causes.
Health experts generally note that some birth deformities can occur due to complex medical or genetic conditions during fetal development, although a proper medical assessment is required to determine the exact cause in such cases.
By the time of filing this report, authorities at Pallisa General Hospital had not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.
