Uganda, May 12 -- Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital has said their paediatric surgery team carried out a life-saving procedure and successfully removed "about 50 stitching needles and other foreign bodies" from a nine-year-old boy.

"Needles were scattered across the stomach and the 'miraculous' soul is now out of danger, will continue following up care. This is just one of specialised operations we perform here," the Hospital said in a statement Tuesday evening.

This comes as a relief following the last week's report by Police that his 45-year-old step mother had forced him to swallow the sewing (stitching) needles.

Information from Police also indicates that by May 7, the woman had been remanded to prison in Mitooma District, Western...