Family seeks answers after newborn baby disappears from hospital

THE mother of a newborn baby has been fighting to find out what happened to the baby for nearly six months since the baby’s birth.

Avhapfani Phillis Netshishivhe from Pile village near Thohoyandou said she is now considering legal action against the department of health.

Netshishivhe said she gave birth to her baby in October at the Donald Fraser Hospital. She said she was forced to give birth unassisted because when she called for a nurse, no one responded. She said shortly after the baby was born, nurses arrived and took the baby away.

She said she was ot even told what gender the baby was.

“They later came and told me that my baby had died. I asked them to give me my baby’s body so that I could bury it at home, but they didn’t.

“They told me later that the body had been taken by a truck to a dumping site. One of the hospital officials told me my baby’s body was smelling.

“I was still speechless from shock when the nurse who had taken my baby came and told me she did not know how my baby’s body disappeared.

One of the hospital officials then told me it was ‘medical law’ for the body to be dumped,” she said.

Netshishivhe said a young nurse who was in charge came and apologised later on.

“She was crying. She said she had never encountered such a problem before,” Netshishivhe said.

The baby’s father, Justice Mulovhedzi said the family lodged a complaint with the hospital just two days after Netshishivhe’s horrific ordeal.

He said to date he had still not received any feedback from the CEO.

He further said the hospital refused to show him where they had dumped the baby.

Hospital CEO, Samuel Mulovhedzi said he was aware of the case and the matter was in the hands of the district office.

Health spokesperson, Adéle van der Linde, said they were awaiting the report from the district office and would pursue the matter from there.