KAMPALA, June 26 -- China's tech giant ZTE is installing a security system, free of charge, at Uganda's biggest hospital to prevent the stealing of newly-born babies.

Parliament Speaker Rebecca Kadaga said at a brief ceremony held at Mulago National Referral Hospital on Friday that the surveillance cameras will be critical in stopping the crime that has troubled the hospital in recent years.

"The stealing of babies has been worrying us. We need to track activities in the wards," she said.

She said ZTE has worked with parliament on its security system and she thanked the Chinese company for "supporting mothers in this country."

Wang Senbo, Managing Director with ZTE Uganda, told Xinhua that the surveillance system will be installed in the maternity ward.

It is a ZTE's social welfare project for the Ugandan mothers, he said.

Figures show that every year an average of 33,000 babies are born at the hospital, while perpetrators take advantage of the crowded environment to steal babies.