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A Mpumalanga mother has shared her painful account of the events surrounding the death of her newborn baby at a provincial hospital more than a decade ago, as calls grow for authorities to provide answers.
Busisiwe Ngele said she went to give birth at Themba Hospital in May 2014. According to her, the medical staff informed her that she had high blood pressure and would need to undergo a procedure in the theatre.
“They took me to the theatre and I gave birth, but they did not show me my child. After giving birth, the doctors immediately took him away and I did not see him the whole night,” she said.
Ngele explained that the following morning she began asking nurses about the baby’s whereabouts. She said other mothers in the labour ward were either holding their babies or had been shown their newborns, but she had not been given the same opportunity.
After several hours, she said a nurse took her into a consultation room where she was told to call family members to come to the hospital.
“They asked if there was anyone at home who could come and pick up the baby because the baby had died,” she said.
Family members reportedly went to collect the baby from the hospital. However, Ngele said the situation became more distressing once they arrived home.
According to the family, the baby had been wrapped in plastic bags from head to toe. When they removed the plastic, they allegedly discovered injuries.
The family claims the baby’s private parts appeared to have been cut and that there was blood coming from the baby’s mouth. Following the discovery, the family contacted the police.
A case was subsequently opened at Kabokweni Police Station in 2014.
More than ten years later, the family says they are still waiting for answers regarding what happened on the day the child was born.
Political party ActionSA has since called on the Mpumalanga Department of Health to release a full report on the circumstances surrounding the death and to provide clarity on the status of the investigation.
The party has also urged law enforcement authorities to prioritise the case so that the family can finally receive closure.
