There should be a transparent and independent investigation into the shocking revelations of infants of stateless mothers in a Sabah hospital being forcibly taken away and given up for adoption against their will.
There shouldn’t be any compromise on this matter and such independent investigation is important to get to the bottom of this and hold those responsible accountable regardless of their positions and standing.
While the Sabah Health Department on Saturday(16/9) did lodge a police report denying allegations that babies were being snatched in the state’s public hospitals, the timing of the report and the speed of the “internal investigation” being that the report was made a day after the news was reported, raised alot of questions and cast doubts on the independence of such an internal investigation.
While i do not question the professionalism of many of the health workers within the Health Department, but it is normal that many doubts are raised on the fairness of such an investigation, especially if it could possibly implicate themselves.
That is why i welcome the Minister of Health’s stand in Parliament that there will not be a compromise on this matter and she is open to an independent investigation to be done, even suggesting to personally look into the issue by talking to the staff and even patients involved to get to the bottom of the matter.
Such independent investigation must involve cross-Ministry officers to properly address this systemic issue as it does not only involves the Ministry of Health. They must also look into possibilities whether it happens in other hospitals to the most vulnerable especially to the undocumented.
We must look into the root of the issue, to prevent the possibility of a generation of stolen children in our hospitals across the country and more importantly that no mothers have to go through such a trafic ordeal to be forcefully seperated and deprived of their newborn child.
Dr. Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen
MP of Bandar Kuching
Special Advisor MoH
Leave a comment