#BabyEmmanuella: Park Station baby admitted to Charlotte Maxeke for observation
JOBURG – Baby Emmanuela, who was born at Park Station, is admitted to Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital following reports of maltreatment from several hospitals on 1 June.
In the wake of the ordeal Francine Kalala went through, the Gauteng Department of Health has vowed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the ‘unfortunate’ incident.
Kalala recently gave birth at Park Station in the Joburg CBD after three hospitals refused to help her because she wasn’t South African.
En route to the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Parktown, after she was turned away from two hospitals in Pretoria, the distraught Congolese national gave birth to baby Emmanuella Kalala in front of a number of commuters on the Gautrain platform at Park Station.
MEC for Health in Gauteng Gwen Ramokgopa met with the family on 6 June at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital where baby Emmanuella was later admitted for medical observation.
“We belong to a global community that is expected to treat everybody who presents at our facilities, and this is expected from any health system in the world,” said Ramokgopa.
“I’m here as part of an investigation. We have requested our quality assurance [team] to investigate and help identify officials involved. We really regret and are very concerned about this incident.”
Ramokgopa’s comments come in the wake of the allegations that authorities at the Tshwane District Hospital and the neighbouring Steve Biko Hospital denied the woman and her husband, Serge Kalala access to medical care.
“The Constitution of South Africa entitles asylum seekers to basic healthcare services, which includes maternity care,” Ramokgopa added.
Read: Ramokgopa will investigate Park Station baby birth saga
Share your thoughts on the Kalala family’s ordeal by adding 079 439 5345 to your WhatsApp contact list and sending a message using #BabyEmmanuella
