Obuasi Fire Service Rescues Newborn from Public Latrine, Raising Concerns Over Rising Abandonments
On July 20, 2025, personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in Obuasi, Ashanti Region, rescued a newborn baby boy dumped in a public latrine at Kwameduakrom, Obuasi East District, around 11:29 p.m.
Residents alerted the Obuasi Fire Station after hearing cries from the latrine, prompting a swift response. Firefighters successfully retrieved the infant from the pit, and, remarkably, the baby was found alive and stable. Community members assisted in cleaning the newborn before it was handed over to health officials for medical evaluation and care.
GNFS Public Relations Officer Alex King Nartey commended the crew’s timely intervention.
This incident marks another in a series of alarming cases of newborns abandoned in perilous conditions, following similar rescues in Tema (2023) and Kwabenakwa (2022). Authorities have not yet commented on the circumstances, but police are expected to investigate to identify the perpetrator.
The recurring nature of such incidents has sparked calls for stricter enforcement to bring those responsible to justice and heightened public discourse on the need to value human life and address the root causes of such acts.
