Delay in re-admission at provincial hospital puts preemie baby in danger
Chantel Duvenhage's premature baby's body turned blue days after being discharged from the Pietersburg Hospital but delays in re-admission could have ended disastrous.
POLOKWANE – A local mother recently expressed her unhappiness about service rendered at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital, adding that the non-availability of an emergency vehicle and a delay in the admission of her child could have ended disastrous.
On February 6, Chantel Duvenhage’s baby was delivered as a premature infant.
As is the case with prem babies, procedure is that the infant has to reach a particular weight before being discharged from the hospital.
“She had to reach a weight of 1.80kg and when she did so, we were discharged with no specific orders. I was told that my baby was fine and would be like any other,” she told Polokwane Observer.
Days after staying home with the then three-week-old infant, one afternoon the baby’s body turned blue, she did not move and according to Duvenhage, seemingly stopped breathing.
“I rushed back to the same hospital, where the nurses refused to admit the her. They said we should wait for a healthcare vehicle which would take us to the Mankweng hospital.”
Duvenhage related how she waited from 17:00, arranging in the meantime for a vehicle to pick them up at around 00:00.
“They kept her in a room and didn’t allow me to see her. I asked to at least feed her, as she had been without milk for some time. A paramedic in private healthcare, who was there at the time, saw in what state my daughter was, and said we should get to the nearest healthcare facility, for oxygen before even taking her to Mankweng.”
A day later, the baby had been given oxygen at a private healthcare facility and was successfully admitted in Mankweng, where she was diagnosed with pneumonia and a collapsed lung which resulted in her being admitted to the intensive care unit.
In the meantime, Duvenhage said the delay at the local hospital was the cause of what happened to her child.
“The Health Department needs to work on expanding its fleet and equip their nurses with information on how to identify emergency situations. Their under-resourced facilities cost people their lives and could have cost me my daughter too. After being born prematurely, she has had to suffer this too.”
Departmental spokesperson Neil Shikwambana commented that the matter would be duly investigated to determine the cause of the delay. “We have referred the complaint to the relevant unit, and the matter is receiving the necessary attention. The issue will be discussed with the relevant next of kin and the necessary redress will be done at that level.”
