MBOMBELA – The Department of Health has denied having known that the security cameras at Rob Ferreira Hospital were not working when a baby went missing over the weekend. The newborn son of Martha Mandlazi (16) went missing from the hospital on Saturday.
Earlier this week, departmental spokesman Mr Dumisane Malamule said the security cameras at the entrance gate were not working due to the ongoing construction at the hospital. Mr Gillion Mashego, MEC for health, said yesterday (Thursday) that the department had not received a report that the cameras were not functioning. This was only discovered this week.
“The budget and finance committee wants a report on the security at all hospitals. I feel they must cluster hospitals together as separate from other buildings. We will find out the state of the security once the audit has been completed.”
He said he had received a report from the hospital but he wanted an independent opinion on the matter as well, hence a gynaecology expert had been tasked with compiling a report on the matter. Mandlazi’s family was also demanding answers about the theft of the baby.
They told Lowvelder they had instructed the mother not to sign any release forms from the hospital. The family believes their lost child was stolen by the nurses on duty and might as well still be on the hospital premises.
“All we want are answers and our baby returned back to us. We are entering the sixth day today (Wednesday) but still nothing is being done by the hospital and government. We know for a fact that this is not the first time such an incident has occurred at this hospital,” said Ms Agnes Mathenjwa, the stolen boy’s grandmother.
Mpumalanga News also reported that reliable sources at the hospital had confirmed that babies had been stolen from the maternity ward in 2010 and 2011. The father of the child, Mr Veli Mathenjwa said he was still shocked and wished for a speedy process from the authorities investigating the matter.
“I feel our government is letting us down, because nothing has been done to resolve this matter. We see in the papers that the health department is going to do something about this, but to our surprise the very nurses who were on duty on the day in question are still at work and worse, still working at the maternity ward,” he said.
He added that it was puzzling that he and the grandmother were not allowed to see or touch the baby after it had been born, but that the same nurses allowed a total stranger access to the infant. The family also refuted claims that the grandmother and the mother of the baby sold him.
“That is total rubbish, how could she have sold her baby when she was still in pain after the operation?” asked Mathenjwa. Yesterday (Thursday) he told this paper that the family had since advised the mother of the child not to sign release forms.
“They wanted to release her on Wednesday night but we instructed her not to sign anything until we had our child back,” he said. He said the entire Mataffin Village where they resided was planning a march to the hospital if no answers were forthcoming.
Mashego also said the matter of security had since been raised with the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison. “We appeal to the community not to trust anyone with their children,” he concluded.
Brig Selvy Mohlala, spokesman for the police, said a case of man stealing was being investigated.
