THE only baby born on Christmas Day at Liteta District Hospital in Chibombo District survived a delicate and life-threatening start to life after being prematurely detached from the placenta, medical officer in-charge Dr Kenneth Musonda has revealed.
Dr Musonda disclosed this yesterday during a Christmas visit to the hospital by Zambia Air Force (ZAF) Commander Lieutenant General Oscar Nyoni, who had gone to celebrate the festive season with mothers and their newly born babies.
“This is a special baby,” Dr Musonda told the Commander.
“The mother came with a complication early in the morning and the baby was prematurely detached from the placenta.”
He explained that the emergency situation forced health workers to act swiftly, with the mother rushed to the emergency centre for urgent medical intervention to assess and stabilise both her and the baby.
“It (the baby) was received under emergency conditions, and we are grateful that the outcome was positive,” Dr Musonda said.
The Christmas baby was the only child born on December 25 at the hospital and stood out among six other newborns who later received baby hampers personally handed over by Lt Gen Nyoni during the visit.
The revelation added emotional weight to the Commander’s visit, as he personally placed a baby hamper into the hands of the Christmas baby’s mother.
At the time the ZAF Commander was handing over the baby hampers, the tiny Christmas baby was still fighting on, receiving blood as nurses closely monitored the situation in the maternity ward.
Both the mother and the baby are recovering well.
The giving spirit of the Commander was on full display yesterday as he and his team blessed Liteta hospital with assorted hospital equipment, mattresses, cleaning materials and baby hampers.
Story and pictures By George Musonda
Kalemba December 26, 2025
