{"id":464238,"date":"2018-02-14T10:24:18","date_gmt":"2018-02-14T10:24:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ghana-mma.com\/2018\/02\/14\/gabon-baby-freed-after-hospital-bill-paid\/"},"modified":"2018-02-14T10:24:18","modified_gmt":"2018-02-14T10:24:18","slug":"gabon-baby-freed-after-hospital-bill-paid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2018\/02\/14\/gabon-baby-freed-after-hospital-bill-paid\/","title":{"rendered":"Gabon: Baby freed after hospital bill paid"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Renault\"\/<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A mother has spoken of her relief after a private clinic in Gabon finally released her baby, who was held for months over an unpaid medical bill.<\/p>\n

Baby Angel\u2019s mother told the BBC her milk had run dry after being separated from the child for the first five months of her life.<\/p>\n

The case shocked the country, and she gained much public support.<\/p>\n

The bill of 2 million CFA ($3,630; \u00a32,610) was paid after a campaign was launched on the family\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n

President Ali Bongo was among those who contributed towards the bill.<\/p>\n

The clinic\u2019s director was arrested on Monday on baby-kidnapping charges, but the charges were dropped a day later, reports BBC Afrique\u2019s Charles Stephan Mavoungou from the capital, Libreville.<\/p>\n

Angel was finally allowed to leave the clinic, which is north of the capital, this week.<\/p>\n

The baby\u2019s mother, Sonia Okome, told the BBC of her relief, but explained it was bittersweet: \u201cI\u2019m happy to have my baby back. But I\u2019m sorry that I can\u2019t breastfeed her because after five months all my milk has gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also complained that the baby had not been given any vaccines.<\/p>\n

The bill, Gabon Media Time reports [in French], was for the 35 days Angel spent in an incubator after she was born prematurely.<\/p>\n

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Source: BBC<\/strong><\/p>\n

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