Ramokgopa will investigate Park Station baby birth saga
JOBURG - A pregnant mother gave birth at the station after three hospitals turned her away.
Gauteng Department of Health has launched an investigation after a pregnant asylum seeker was turned away from three local hospitals on 1 June which resulted in her giving birth at Park Station.
The mother, Francine Kalala, a Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) citizen, was initially refused treatment at Tshwane District Hospital.
After the Steve Biko Hospital also refused to admit her, she and her husband Serge boarded the Gautrain to Johannesburg to find a hospital.
She gave birth on the floor at Park Station, and an ambulance took her and the baby to the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital, where she was allegedly also refused access.
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Shadow Health MEC, Jack Bloom, said after eight hours the mother and her baby finally got treatment at the Hillbrow Community Health Centre.
Bloom described this as a ‘shameful’ and a contravention of a constitutional provision of basic health care to everyone, including foreigners.
“This shameful saga exposes a highly disturbing streak of inhumanity in the hospital staff.
“The department needs to enforce the Constitution and must ensure that no person in need is ever turned away from a public hospital,” he said.
Health MEC Dr Gwen Ramokgopa met the Kalala family and their newborn baby Emmanuella Kabiena Kalala at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital on 6 June where the baby was admitted.
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Ramokgopa condemned the incident and said a patient’s nationality should not be used to determine access to healthcare.
She said non-South African citizens are classified as private patients, excluding certain categories such as refugees or asylum seekers, where a means test is applied and the patients receive the same health benefits as South Africans.
“We belong to a global community that is expected to treat everybody who come to our facilities. This is expected from any health system in the world.
“I’m here as part of an investigation… we have requested our quality assurance team to investigate and help identify officials involved,” said Ramokgopa.
“We are very concerned and really regret this incident… we should be caring and kind to all patients,” she said.
Details: Jack Bloom 082 333 4222
