HOAX: ‘No babies were gouged out of wombs’
The hoax has been described as a ‘macabre, misleading, mischievous and plain sickening.’
A HOAX Facebook entry, alleging that an ambulance from Port Shepstone was hijacked and the insides of its passengers (including a pregnant women) cruelly gouged out, has been strongly denounced as a hoax by Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, KZN Health MEC.
He responded to this false story by describing it as “macabre, misleading, mischievous and plain sickening”.
The message, which is still in circulation, is written in IsiZulu, with numerous grammatical errors.
It says that, on Wednesday this week, an ambulance transferring an eight-month pregnant woman and two other female patients from Murchison Hospital to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital was hijacked near Scottburgh.
It further claims the paramedics were injected with an unknown substance, had their feet and hands tied, and their mouths gagged.
The report goes on to say that the patients had their “inside parts gouged, including the baby in the womb of the pregnant patient”.
MEC Dhlomo said no such incident had taken place and all the Emergency Medical Services personnel, including vehicles, were all accounted for.
SAPS in the area also refuted any hijacking incident of this sort taking place in its area.
MEC Dhlomo said that fake news of this sort was sickening, worrisome and macabre, bording on dangerous voodoo practices.
“At best, I think the person who posted this disturbing message requires urgent help. Clinically speaking, people who harbour such ghoulish thoughts are actually a danger to themselves and to others in their midst,” he said.
He appealed to the public to be wary of the evil and senseless intentions of information peddlers and scare-mongers.
“Their only intention is to mislead people and sow feelings of terror and mischief. Only trust information if it is from well-recognised and established sources of news,” he said.
YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN: About that Facebook disclaimer – yes, it’s a hoax
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
For news straight to your phone, add us on BBM 58F3D7A7 or WhatsApp 082 421 6033
