This Monday, October 28, 2025, at Roi Khaled University Hospital, two women gave birth—one to a boy and the other to a girl—but their babies were exchanged “due to negligence on the part of the medical staff.”
Pascal, one of the Authors on The Baptist Chronicle‘s editorial team, notes that this story strongly resembles that of the two women brought before King Solomon in 1 Kings 3:16-28.
Two women lived together, each having had a child. One accidentally suffocated her baby during the night, then exchanged the dead child with the other woman’s baby while she slept. Upon waking, the mother of the living baby realized the deception.
Unable to resolve the matter humanely, Solomon proposed cutting the child in two and giving half to each woman. The true mother then begged that the child be given to the other woman so that he might live, thus proving her love. This is how Solomon knew who the real mother was.
Solomon’s Justice in the Face of Medical Error in Burundi
This Monday, October 28, 2025, at King Khaled Hospital, two women gave birth—one to a boy and the other to a girl—but their babies were swapped “due to negligence on the part of the medical staff.”
One of the two newborns unfortunately died. However, when the parents came for the burial, they discovered that they had been given the body of a baby girl, even though they had given birth to a boy.
Meanwhile, the other mother was unknowingly breastfeeding a child who was not her own, while her own baby had already been declared dead. According to information gathered by local media from one of the doctors at King Khaled Hospital, the two women gave birth on Sunday, October 26th—one to a boy, the other to a girl. Because the newborns were very weak, a doctor urgently transferred them to a room equipped with respirators. It was at this point that the names were allegedly switched: the baby boy was registered under the name of the girl’s mother, and vice versa.
Once the mothers had recovered from childbirth, each went to see her baby and was presented with the one whose wristband bore her name. They then began breastfeeding the children.
On Tuesday morning, the family of the baby registered as a girl was informed that the child had died. As the family gathered for the funeral, one of the women who had been present during the delivery noticed that the body presented was that of a girl, while she clearly remembered that a boy had been born. She then cried out, causing commotion and indignation, accusing the hospital of having switched the babies.
Following this incident, the doctors immediately launched an investigation. After verification, it turned out that the babies had indeed been switched. The body of the deceased child was therefore returned to the family that had the living baby, and the exchange was made. It was 8:30 pm when the body was placed in the morgue.
Just as in this situation in Burundi, only emotion, the memory of witnesses, and a thorough investigation made it possible to reveal the truth.
What if everyone understood that our workplace is also a sacred space?
This incident calls into question professional negligence.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23).
In Burundi, as elsewhere, many services are slowed down or poorly rendered due to negligence, favoritism, or a lack of professional conscience. Yet, the Bible teaches us that all work is a place of ministry. Whether you are a doctor, teacher, civil servant, shopkeeper, or street cleaner, you are called to reflect the character of Christ.
A Christian does not wait for the supervisor’s eye to do good work. He works with integrity, knowing that he is a co-worker with God (1 Corinthians 3:9). He understands that the workplace is also an altar where he worships God through excellence, justice, and love.
Not doing one’s job well is to dishonor God. It is to deprive society of a living testimony. But working faithfully, even in obscurity, is to plant seeds of the Kingdom.
In the medical field, as in any other service rendered to others, every action touches life, the sacred, and human dignity. Working carelessly, without attention, is to betray both the patient’s trust and the calling that God entrusts to us.
The Christian who works in a hospital or social institution is an instrument of God in the service of life. Their commitment must be marked by seriousness, vigilance, and love for their neighbor.
This mother, through her vigilance and refusal to accept a lie, is an image of discerning faith. She did not give in to resignation, but courageously sought the truth.
God often works through such sincere hearts to restore justice.
Furthermore, the author also commends the effort of the deceased’s mother, who agreed to release the surviving child in the pursuit of truth.
Question for reflection: Does my work glorify God or dishonor Him?
Pascal Ndayikeza is one of the Authors on The Baptist Chronicle's editorial team. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Baptist Chronicle.
Nous remercions Dieu pour ce journal, né du désir sincère de faire briller la lumière de la vérité dans l’Église, particulièrement au sein de la famille baptiste du Burundi.
Dans un monde marqué par la confusion et la désinformation, il est essentiel d’avoir des voix courageuses qui cherchent à éclairer, rassembler et édifier.
Que ce travail reste animé par l’amour du Christ, le respect du prochain et la passion de la vérité.
Chaque article, chaque réflexion publiée, est un acte de foi et de service : un pas de plus vers une Église responsable, mature et fidèle à sa mission.
« Vous êtes la lumière du monde… Que votre lumière brille devant les hommes » (Matthieu 5:14-16).
These are two sudden, overwhelming, and completely opposite emotions: unexpected joy and pain, painfully exchanged.
Dieu Soit loué pour ce journal.on va découvrir des actualités nouvelles et les bonnes actions faites par un équipe des gens de bonté.