The Ikageng police are investigating an inquest case after a 1-year-old baby, Mbalienhle Matlou died after being surgically operated on by a general practitioner in Ikageng.
According to Sgt Kelebogile Trom, the police received a call from Sonderwater at about 18:00 on 9 January.
‘Upon their arrival, they found the EMRS personnel who declared the child dead but did not know the cause of death.
The body was in a supine position on the floor and was covered with a towel. She had stitches on her chest and there was no sign of life.
‘The mother explained that a local medical doctor had performed a surgical operation on the child.
When she got home and realised later that her daughter was not breathing, she called the ambulance. The body was taken to a mortuary,’ said Trom.
The Herald could not get hold of the general practitioner, despite several phone calls.
*This is a developing story. Read the detailed article on the interview with the baby’s parents next Thursday, when they give an account of the events that led to the death of their child. The Health Professions’ Council of South Africa (HPSA) will also answer questions about whether it is lawful for a general practitioner to perform a surgical operation at his practice and a hospital surgeon will give a medical perspective on the incident.
The NW provincial health department is set to comment on the incident and the strange sequence of events that followed the death of the baby.
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