Teenager alleges abuse by nurses during labour at Middelburg Hospital
Nurses allegedly covered the mouth of a screaming teenager during the stillbirth of her baby boy.
A 16-year-old mother accuses a group of five Middelburg Hospital nurses of slapping her during childbirth, after she screamed out in pain during labour.
The teenager said the nurses also placed their hands over her mouth and nose to stop her from screaming in pain, restricting her breathing.
After about four hours in labour, her baby boy was finally delivered stillborn, after a doctor had been called to assist.
According to the teenager, who spoke to the Middelburg Observer about her horrific ordeal, she arrived at the hospital at around 18:00 on May 31, and the baby was delivered shortly before 22:00.
On her arrival at the hospital, the teenager said both her mother and boyfriend were refused entry to the delivery room.
Inside the delivery room, the teenager alleges, the nurses forcefully pressed on her stomach to ‘push the baby out’.
Their efforts failed, and a doctor was ultimately called to assist.
The teenager said the doctor delivered her son, but that the child was removed to another room immediately. She was called to the room later, where she was allowed to see the infant, but not touch him.
The teenager alleges that both the baby’s eyes were ‘swollen’ and that she observed bruises all over his body.
She was only allowed into the room for a few minutes.
The girl said the doctor did not speak to her or her mother after the delivery, and she received no explanation from other staff either on what may have caused the stillbirth.
According to the teenager, the delivery happened at full term, adding that she carried beyond her estimated delivery date.
She further alleges that her baby’s body was kept in the room overnight before being moved to the mortuary.
She said she is too afraid to report the alleged abuse to the health authorities ‘because it’s their word against mine, I experienced all of this alone’.
Her boyfriend, she said, wants her to report the alleged abuse.
Department of Health spokesperson Christopher Nobela said that a preliminary investigation revealed complications with the birth and that the baby’s shoulders got stuck during delivery.
He noted that the birth was recorded as a stillbirth.
According to Nobela, a full investigation will be done.
