A shocking maternal health incident has been reported in Dambai, located in the Krachi East Municipality of the Oti Region, when a 21-year-old woman, identified as Madam Paulina Linaju, reportedly gave birth in a private toilet while attempting to use the facility.
The baby, tragically, was later found dead in the pit latrine.
According to the Assembly Member for Dambai Old Town, Oboaba Yakubu, the young woman—an apprentice hairdresser—had gone to use the private toilet, only for a tenant’s son to later hear the sound of a crying baby coming from the latrine.
The incident occurred while Yakubu was live on air with Oti FM, prompting a quick response after a distress call from the landlord after the woman unexpectedly gave birth in the toilet facility.
“Upon rushing to the scene, I called a police officer and later found the baby dead in the pit,” Yakubu told the Ghana News Agency (GNA). The police retrieved the body, and family members reportedly arranged for a burial.
The woman has since been hospitalised and is under monitoring by both medical personnel and police officers. Her condition remains stable but under observation.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Al-hassan Abdul-Razak, the Divisional Crime Officer at the Dambai Police Command, stated that no official report has been filed, though he confirmed awareness of the case through unofficial channels.
This tragic case brings renewed attention to maternal health challenges in Ghana, particularly in relation to access to Ghanaian health facilities and the need for improved public awareness around reproductive health and emergency care.
Attempts to speak directly with the victim have so far been unsuccessful.
