A new-born baby is lucky to be alive after she was rescued by a Good Samaritan who picked her up from the middle of the road along the Mutare-Harare Highway.
The female infant, who was in her birthday suit when she was discovered at around 2am on a chilly day, is suspected to have been abandoned by her mother.
The baby was inside a plastic bag and was discovered by an unidentified woman who was travelling with her husband recently.
Police confirmed the incident.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Norbert Muzondo, said the baby is safe and has since been adopted by an unidentified couple.
“The informant was travelling with her husband along the Harare-Mutare Highway going towards Rusape at around 2am. Upon approaching the 180km peg, the informant saw a plastic bag lying in the middle of the road.
“They immediately stopped, and upon investigation, they discovered that a baby was inside the plastic bag,” said Inspector Muzondo.
In awe, they took the infant to a police roadblock at the 175km peg where they picked a police officer.
They went to Rusape General Hospital, where they handed the infant over to the hospital authorities for examinations.
It was concluded that the baby was in a stable condition and had just been delivered.
The infant was admitted in the maternity ward awaiting further management and onward referral to a relevant care centre.
Police applauded the informant for the exceptional philanthropic work while castigating the actions of the mother.
“What the mother did is cruel. We discourage baby dumping and we encourage would-be mothers who may fail to provide for their newly-born babies to approach organisations like the Department of Social Welfare or development partners for assistance.
“There are mechanisms in place to assist parents who may not be in a position to support their children. We also applaud the Good Samaritan for a job well done.
“She did exceptionally well by acting timely and making a quick reaction to ensure the safety of the baby. The philanthropic works should not go unnoticed,” said Inspector Muzondo.
— Manica Post