Khabonina Qubeka sues hospital for R40 million for burnt placenta

Actress Khabonia Qubeka is suing the hospital where she gave birth as they allegedly incinerated her placenta against her will.

Taking on Instagram TV, Khabonina said she signed a contract that allowed her to store and take her placenta home after she was discharged. She expressed her strong belief that the hospital had no intention of releasing the placenta to her.

The timeline was as follows:

• 3pm she arrived at the hospital
• 8pm she was given the contract to release the placenta
• 8.20pm she gave birth

According to her, the hospital had a five-hour window to give her the contract but failed to do so. Therefore, they did not want her to have her placenta in the first place.

After her discharge, Khabonina sent her partner to collect the placenta that they assumed had been stored in the fridge. A while after his arrival, he was advised that the placenta was incinerated.

The hospital said they did nothing wrong.

“How can you say you did nothing wrong? Am I ever going to be pregnant again? Am I ever gonna have this experience again? Not only did they violate my right as a woman to choose, but they also violated my human rights,” said Khabonina.

The lawyers representing the hospital advised that there was a separate form she was meant to sign for the placenta to be stored and released.

Khabonina argues that the hospital failed to inform her of all the necessary documents that she was supposed to sign.

She wanted to explore her options concerning her placenta, including the health benefits of eating her placenta and she wanted to educate other expecting mothers about her experience.

The case is currently being handled by the Cultural and Linguistic Organisation (CRL) and she wants R40 million from the private hospital.