Surveillance cameras at the Maternity and Children’s Hospital in Madina were functioning when a one-day-old baby boy was abducted Sunday, a senior health official said.
Authorities have the video evidence, said Abdullah Al-Taifi, Director of the Madina Health Department, during an inspection visit of the hospital Monday.
Al-Taifi’s statement came one day after claims of the relatives of the missing baby that the security cameras at the hospital were not functioning at the time of the abduction.
“We’ve handed over the recordings from each camera to the police who now are investigating the case,” Al-Taifi said.
The baby, Ahmad, is still missing, and the mother’s statement is still the main lead of the investigation, officials said.
She told authorities that she shouted for help as she saw an “overweight and dark-skinned woman” enter the baby’s room, take him, and flee.
As authorities are still searching for the baby, police will issue a detailed statement about the incident, according to officials.
In the wake of the abduction of the baby from the government hospital, visitors and patients entered the hospital amid tightened security, officials said.
Ali Al-Muhammadi, Director of the Women’s and Obstetrics Hospital, refused to name the employee responsible for operating the cameras and declined to answer a question concerning the cameras at the moment of the abduction.
Sources said the hospital feared a baby swap mistake, prompting it to take blood samples from all newborns to make sure the baby was not taken away by a mistaken mother.
Police and hospital officials also took the father of the abducted baby to see all newborns at the hospital rooms and departments, sources said.
The infant’s family will file a complaint with the Ministry of Interior and Madina Emir’s Office and demand that those responsible are held accountable.
Abdullah Al-Muzaini, uncle of the abducted infant, accused the hospital’s management of negligence and added that nurses are saying the woman described by the mother was seen roaming the hospital the night before the abduction. He said the woman disappeared with the baby at dawn.
Madina senior officials visited the mother before meeting to discuss the case as instructed by Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Majed, Emir of Madina.
A National Society of Human Rights delegation, which visited the mother at the hospital Monday, will meet the hospital’s director and issue a report on the incident, said Muhammad Al-Oufi, a member of the organization.
KHALED AL-SHALLAHI & SAMAH YASEEN
Saudi Gazette