Mother relives horrific nightmare of toddler’s death

A mother who tragically lost her baby in hospital, has spoken about her ordeal.

Ms Monica Stoltz (22) told White River Post on Friday about what had happened on May 14, when Angel Harnols (2) was rushed to hospital and passed away on June 8. Police are still probing the death of the child.

“I boiled water in a pot to bath Angel. I took it to the room and placed it on the floor next to the bed on which she was lying. I turned to close the windows because there was wind coming in. Angel climbed off the bed in reverse, tripped and toppled the pot over herself.”

According to Stoltz, she rushed to her, picked her up and put her on her lap, in the process burning herself. “I called for my sister and she helped me take off Angel’s clothes, we then poured cold water over her. My sister phoned my aunt who rushed us to Themba Hospital.”

The family gave the paper a copy of the post-mortem report from the Department of Health dated June 10. It stated that Angel had died of “third- to fourth-degree burns on 40 per cent and the consequences thereof”.

The family pointed out that there were several discrepancies in the report regarding Angel’s name, race and height.

Stoltz had slept in another room in the hospital as she was apparently not allowed to stay with her daughter the night she died. The staff called her in to see her child and then told her to leave as they were apparently going to give her an injection – 30 minutes later they called her again to tell her the tragic news.

The family alleged that they saw the nurses manhandle Angel on numerous occasions, so they requested the treating doctor to transfer her to Sabie Hospital as they feared for her safety. “He refused and told us Themba was the best in the province.” They also stated that at one time, the doctor postponed an operation due to the lack of water and stated it was because machinery in the theatre was dirty. “They later performed the operation and she was recovering well.”

The Mpumalanga Health Department spokesman, Mr Dumisani Malamule, stated, that it had immediately launched an investigation. “The preliminary probe reveals that the allegations levelled at the staff were not true as there was no negligence.” Malumale said they had an open-door policy and any member of the public who had been mistreated by any staff at the hospital, had to report the matter. “Any official found to be on the wrong side of the law will be dealt with accordingly.”

“For my family’s sanity and mine, I need to get closure on what happened to my child,” Stoltz concluded.