Ambulance and hospital hell: mother wants answers after death of baby
A provincial ambulance was allegedly used “like a taxi” when a woman in labour waited for hours before she was picked up and transported from one house to another.
The young mother buried her newborn baby yesterday after a traumatic labour and childbirth ordeal, at the hands of the provincial ambulance services and the Middelburg Provincial Hospital.
Nomfundo Mcina (21) shared the incident with the Middelburg Observer.
Her family called for an ambulance at 15:00, but it allegedly only arrived two hours later.
The ambulance, with two people inside, took an unexpected turn from Extension 5, Mhluzi, to Extension 2. Instead of going straight to the hospital, they dropped off a person and allegedly picked up another one in Extension 3.
After operating like a taxi for 45 minutes, the paramedics finally reached the Middelburg Provincial Hospital at 17:45.
At around 22:00, Nomfundo said she felt the need to relieve herself and went to the toilet. It was there that she unexpectedly felt her baby’s head.
She informed the nurses, who were at the workstation, and they told her to go back to bed.
Nomfundo said she delivered the baby alone at 22:23.
Another pregnant woman, who was walking in the passage, saw what happened and told the nurses.
They only came to Nomfundo’s aid at 22:30. During the wait, her unattended baby lay on the bed.
When a nurse arrived, they took the baby for cleaning, and another nurse instructed Nomfundo to take a bath.
Later, a nurse returned with the baby, revealing that the baby had a neck injury allegedly caused by the placenta being “too big”.
At 04:00, during the doctor’s rounds, Nomfundo was informed that her baby girl had stopped breathing and passed away, without further explanation.
Nomfundo believes prompt attention could have saved her baby’s life and is demanding answers from the Mpumalanga Department of Health.
• The Middelburg Observer’s media enquiry to the health department did not receive comment before publication.
