Alex couple wants answers after death of their premature newborn at Edenvale Hospital
ALEX – The couple, Neo Manamela and Khotso Sebata say they were not assisted during the delivery of the baby.
An Alex couple will seek an explanation from Edenvale Hospital before taking appropriate steps following the death of their baby in an unassisted delivery at the institution.
Neo Manamela and Khotso Sebata of 9th Avenue are currently nursing the trauma from the incident again unassisted before approaching the hospital for answers.
Their hope for a baby was dented late morning on 17 January at the hospital. “It would have been my first successful delivery after five previous pregnancies, three at Edenvale. “After delivery at five months, the baby who weighed 1.3kg cried for about 20 to 30 minutes and went silent for good,” Neo said as they tried to contain their emotions before this reporter.
Khotso added, “There is already a long-standing negative perception in the community about this institution and her previous experience of ill-treatment we kept to ourselves, adds to our pain.”
Sebata alleged that many fear going there. “It made us apprehensive but we had no choice as they have her records and it is a referral facility from which we only expect the best from caring and oath-abiding staff.”
Explaining the sequence of events Sebata said, “I called for an ambulance after she got into serious labour pains but it was delayed by an hour and after I was hung up on twice and pleaded with the call centre for help.”
He said despite her being an emergency case, she was attended to by a doctor after a patient before he gave way. “He seemingly had been busy with other patients and ordered that she (Manamela) be given a bed. Manamela chipped in saying the nurses directed but didn’t help her to a bed in gynaecology ward instead of the maternity wing. “Despite my plea for help, they ignored me, even when I tried to rush back to the bed from a toilet when I felt the head of the child coming. “I gave birth unassisted until an empathetic nurse on her way off duty alerted the others and another doctor nearby.”
By then, she claimed, the baby was silent and a nurse who checked on her said the baby boy had a low pulse. She said that she was irked afterwards when the doctor advised the nurses publicly to complete relevant forms should the baby die.
The couple said they were further perturbed when the nurses told them that they couldn’t have the baby for burial if it was below three months old and a certain weight they claimed he had already surpassed.
Manalema then asked for Sebata to view the body to which they relented including taking a picture of him. They said that they didn’t sign any document and do not know where the baby’s body was taken. “Our gripe is on the general hostile treatment and environment we experienced, breach of doctor-patient confidentiality, denial of the baby for burial, documentation on the baby not certified by us and being told to go home as the body was wrapped nonchalantly in a linen saver and taken away,” Sebata said adding, “It may have been a better risk for her to give birth at home.”
They worried about others getting into a similar predicament. “What then happens to the voiceless. “It’s our facility and we should go there with confidence that we will get a professional and caring service than a death penalty.”
The couple is contemplating remedial steps after they were contacted by a department of health official they claimed was after an inquiry by the public broadcaster. “I wasn’t asked how we were coping but only to verify the incident so that they could respond to the inquiry,” Manamela said to which Sebata added, “It affirms the negative perception we grew up hearing about the hospital.”
Meanwhile, CEO of Edenvale Regional Hospital, Dr Jatin Ganda, indicated that the matter was still under investigation and that the findings of the investigation will be shared with the media in due course.
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