The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, has debunked the report linking it with child trafficking, saying the hospital does not traffic children.

It described as false, misleading, and malicious the allegations of child trafficking currently being circulated online, reiterating that its involvement was strictly limited to providing medical care.

The publication had accused the hospital of handing over the children of a deceased patient to unknown people while her remains were in the morgue.

But the Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Boniface Uchelue, in a statement on Thursday, said the hospital remains a centre of excellence and would not delve into activities that could undermine its reputation.

He explained that the deceased patient in the story was undergoing treatment at the facility before her unfortunate demise, adding however that in line with established medical ethics and patient confidentiality laws, the hospital cannot disclose specific details regarding her medical condition or treatment.

He added that the patient was not pregnant and did not undergo any surgical procedure during her admission, noting that after her death, two female children who had been with her in the ward were temporarily taken home by a caregiver attending to another patient in the ward.

“This caregiver had a pre-existing relationship with the deceased and acted out of compassion for the minors. The deceased has a third child who, prior to her illness, had been under the care of a reverend gentleman.

“Upon contact from a relative of the deceased, the  caregiver was immediately reached, and she promptly returned the children. The said relative subsequently cleared the hospital bills and took full custody of both the children and the deceased’s remains.

“The relative’s contact information remains available for verification by relevant authorities. UNTH reiterates that its involvement was strictly limited to providing medical care. The hospital had no role in decisions concerning the children’s care following the patient’s passing,” he stated.

The hospital further said that officials from the Enugu State Ministry of Gender Affairs and Social Welfare conducted a thorough investigation on the development “and completely absolved UNTH of any wrongdoing”

The statement said the hospital’s Legal Unit is taking appropriate steps to pursue legal action against individuals responsible for disseminating the unfounded and defamatory narrative, urging journalists to always verify all information before publication to avoid unjustly maligning institutions committed to delivering essential healthcare services.