MBOMBELA – It seems as if the Department of Health is failing to ensure that women’s rights to dignity is respected at their local health institutions.
While the deputy minister of health, Dr Joe Phaahla was visiting the province, a woman had to give birth at the local taxi rank.
This was after she had allegedly been turned away from the hospital by nurses. Ironically, Phaahla was in the province to verify pending cases concerning primary health-care services and the state of finances.
The 39-year-old Ms Makhabeni Ncube of Emanyeveni Village near White River, went to the hospital after experiencing labour pains.
“I went to the hospital at about 04:30 and just before 14:00 the nurses discharged me from the maternity ward and said it had been a false alarm. I told them I was still in pain, but they told me I should come back when I feel real labour pains,” said Ncube.
She added that when she was at the taxi rank, her water broke and a Good Samaritan, who was selling fruit and vegetables, witnessed it and helped her deliver the baby.
“It’s so sad how these so-called professional nurses treat pregnant women. They don’t respect us. We may be pregnant, but we are not crazy. I’m grateful that there was an angel who helped me deliver my beautiful baby girl, Amahle,” she added.
After all the drama, she stated that an ambulance was called and she was taken back to the hospital for observation.
“I was checked and the nurses didn’t even bother to bath my baby. This is the day when I lost my dignity. Giving birth is a meant to be an intimate moment, but today many people saw me and that embarrassment will live with me forever,” she concluded.
After the incident, the minister visited Ncube at the waiting area and apologised. He also promised that an incident like that would never happen again.
“People should note that although it is not the nurses’ responsibility to bath new-born babies, this is still negligence.
The woman was turned away after she said she was in labour. As government we do not agree with such behaviour and we will deal with nurses who continue to do as they please,” he said.
This degrading incident is the second of its kind to occur in a period of six months. In February, a young woman gave birth under a tree after she was allegedly turned away from the local clinic.
After Mpumalanga News contacted the health department for comment, spokesperson, Mr Ronnie Masilela said,
“We were highly disturbed by the event and are verifying all the information regarding it. Serious and unpopular actions may be taken here. We cannot subject people to inhumane treatment.”
After Friday’s incident, we asked the current spokesperson, Mr Dumisani Malamule, when the department was going to start acting and ensure that women’s rights to dignity were respected, however, at the time of going to print he had still not responded.
