Byline: Levhuwani Matumba

28 May 2021

A family from Leandra want answers from Evander Hospital after 20-year-old mother lost her new-born baby during the month of May 2021.

According to the information received when Seskhona Media visited the family, the young woman was transferred to Evander Hospital by Leandra Clinic.

On arrival at the hospital, she was admitted and her sister was instructed to go home and only communicate with her through the phone since visitors were said to be not allowed due to COVID-19.

The young woman said the nurses who were taking care of her at night were instructed by the day shift to take her to theatre, but that did not happen. 

She further elaborated the trauma and bullying she experienced when she shouted “Sister, sister!” looking for help at night. 

The nurses were said to have responded by saying, “Usister angasiyena umnganiwakho.”

Nobody allegedly cared to check up on her from that shift when was asking for help.

She later gave birth to a baby boy who was said to be healthy, even according to the discharge card given to the mother.

The young mother said the next day while she was all excited and expecting to go home, a certain doctor went and took the baby away from her. 

“He later came back holding an umbilical cord of my baby clipped with a peg and gave it to me without explaining 

anything,” said the mother who further mentioned that her child was then taken to a supporting machine while nothing was mentioned to her.

“Why are you not informed when decisions are taken regarding your child? Another nurse asked me and that was when I started to be worried,” the young mother continued as she tried to explain what happened. 

Upon asking, she was informed there is something wrong with her child and being a first mother, she did not know what to do. 

“I tried phoning my younger sister to find out how the child was doing and she could not answer the phone.

I tried more than 20 times and finally decided that I should go to the hospital.

While I was preparing to go there, my phone rang and upon answering it I was informed that I should bring an elderly person to the hospital.

I asked if the child died and the answer was yes,” said the sister to the bereaved mother. 

She took her grandmother and on their arrival at the hospital, they were permitted to enter, and the child mother was said to have been crying uncontrollably. 

“I demanded to see the child and when I checked him, I saw lots of blood coming out of the belly button.

The explanation for the blood was that the drip was inserted into the belly button.

But the blood was too much and the child was still warm at the time,” the sister to the child’s mother explained.

The family wanted to know why the doctor removed the whole umbilical cord after only few hours the child was born because according to their knowledge the cut umbilical cord falls off on its own, not pulled out. 

The family further mentioned that when they requested to know what really happened, they were told different stories. 

The hospital was also said to have refused to do post mortem until the family approached the police. 

The detective at the Evander Police station was also alleged to have refused to help them until they sought for help from the EFF. 

While at the Evander Police Station with the Visible Policing Captain Mhlanga, a phone call was made from the hospital requesting the family to go to the hospital.

“How did the hospital know that we are at the police station? That on its own showed that the police work with the nurses and that was the reason they were both arrogant to us,” said the bereaved young mother’s sister. 

Finally the hospital arranged for a meeting between the family and the CEO who promised to investigate the matter. 

The post mortem was also done and the family is waiting for the results. 

Seskhona Media contacted Capt Mhlanga from Evander Hospital and he confirmed that the family approached him and unfortunately the case could not be opened because the person who was at the police station was not the mother of the child, but the sister. 

“I delegated a detective to visit the family at home and take the statement from the child’s mother and that is when a case will be opened,” said Capt Mhlanga. 

Seskhona Media also saw the conversation between the family and the CEO of the hospital and the district also acknowledged receipt of the complaint‭. ‬