New Year’s babies

As thousands of people country- wide were toasting, cheering and counting down to the New Year, doctors and midwives at various hospitals were busy helping expectant mothers deliver the first babies of the year.

Sunday, January 02, 2011
Clementine with her New Year's gift at CHUK. (Photo / J. Mbanda)

As thousands of people country- wide were toasting, cheering and counting down to the New Year, doctors and midwives at various hospitals were busy helping expectant mothers deliver the first babies of the year.

The first baby of 2011 in Kigali made its entrance just a few minutes after midnight at the Central University Teaching Hospital in Kigali (CHUK).

The bouncing baby is the first born of Fidele and Clementine Tugizimana. Both the mother and baby were in perfect health when The Sunday Times visited.

At La Croix du Sud (fondly known as Kwa Nyirinkwaya), baby Eva was born to mom Jovian Umugirirwa and dad Alexis at 06:23 a.m yesterday.

At the same facility four other babies were delivered making them five in total, two girls and three boys. By the time of the visit, all babies and their mothers were in perfect health and waiting to be discharged.

Two babies were also born at Kibagabaga Hospital at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s eve. Followed by two others the same night.

According to Oda Murielle, the Head nurse at the centre, the three boys and two girls are all in good condition.

The coordinator of the maternity wing at Muhima Hospital, revealed that three births, two boys and a girl, were recorded on New Year’s Day.

"New Year’s Day is always special to me and my family. Now with the coming of my first born, I don’t know how we are going to celebrate this,” said a vividly glowing Emilyn Uwase, whose daughter, her first-born, came into the world half an hour past midnight.

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