On July 29, a 30-year-old woman gave birth to a healthy boy, outside Rabie Ridge Clinic due to the clinic being closed due to an electricity outage.

Emergency Medical Services, alerted by community members who were helping the woman, swiftly responded to the scene and helped the woman, arriving just after she had given birth. She, along with her newborn boy, were then taken to Tembisa Hospital.

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The city’s Health Department spokesperson, Virgil James, said, despite the power outage, services continued, as staff attended to patients who were already in the clinic, as well as those who arrived until around midday. “A decision was then taken to close the clinic at 12:30, after staff communication with the Regional Health Department regarding the challenges in continuing services. This was because the clinic relies on electrically powered medical equipment. The equipment is supported by backup batteries, but, by that time, the batteries had been depleted.”

He said staff remained at the facility to attend to patients who were already inside at the time of closure. James added that staff assessed any individuals arriving at the entrance to redirect them to nearby Bophelong or Mayibuye clinics, based on the urgency of their condition.

“The mother in question never arrived at Rabie Ridge Clinic,” said James, “and was therefore not attended to by any staff. The clinic staff only became aware of the situation when emergency services were already on the scene and attending to her. By then she had already given birth before she could get to the clinic.”

According to reports, the already-in-labour mother could not rouse the clinic staff, unable to even reach the door due to her state, and instead relying on the kindness of strangers to help her. When the staff did become aware of the situation they did rush out to help.

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