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In early February 2026, the quiet halls of the Mamprobi Polyclinic in Accra were transformed into a scene of desperation and outrage. What began as a routine postnatal recovery for a young mother ended in a parent’s worst nightmare: the brazen theft of her four-day-old son.
The incident has since triggered a national conversation about hospital security, the vulnerability of new mothers, and the power of community vigilance.
The Disappearance: A Calculated Breach
On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, Precious Ankomah, who was recovering from a cesarean section, was resting in the postnatal ward. According to police reports, a woman—now identified as 33-year-old Latifa Salifu—allegedly entered the ward disguised in a peach-colored nurse’s uniform.
Exploiting the mother's state of exhaustion and the ward’s security gaps, the suspect claimed she needed to take the infant for "routine medication." When she failed to return, the facility descended into chaos. CCTV footage captured the woman calmly walking out of the hospital gates with the baby wrapped in cloth, a sight that sparked immediate fury among local residents who stormed the facility demanding answers.
The Recovery: A Whistleblower’s Intervention
The heartbreak was fortunately short-lived. Following a massive social media campaign and swift coordination by the Ghana Police Service, the infant was tracked to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in the early hours of Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
A whistleblower’s tip led officers to Salifu, who claimed she had recently delivered a child at Korle Bu but was discharged due to a "bed shortage." Hospital records quickly debunked her story. The infant was positively identified by his mother through a distinct birthmark on his leg and was reunited with his family later that day.
High-Level Response and Lingering Questions
The gravity of the situation drew immediate attention from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the sector minister, personally visited the facility to hand the baby back to his mother.
"We are going to work with the Ministry of Health to ensure that the systems and structures in place are secure enough for patients and health workers," Dr. Lartey stated, promising an overhaul of security protocols in public clinics.
Despite the happy reunion, the trauma remains. The child’s father, Mohammed Agyemang, described his wife as "deeply traumatized," noting that she refuses to let the child out of her sight. Furthermore, the family has requested a DNA test to provide absolute scientific certainty of the child's identity before they leave the hospital's care.
Lessons from the Mamprobi Incident
The Mamprobi case serves as a stark warning to healthcare providers across Ghana. The ease with which an intruder could impersonate medical staff highlights a desperate need for:
Strict Uniform Audits: Standardizing and verifying staff identification at all entry points.
Visitor Management: Moving away from open-ward access to restricted, biometric-assisted entry for maternity blocks.
Surveillance Monitoring: Ensuring CCTV is not just a recording tool for later investigations but a live preventative measure.
As Latifa Salifu awaits her day in court, the Mamprobi Polyclinic faces the long task of rebuilding the trust of a community that now views its halls with a mix of relief and lingering suspicion.
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