Newborn rescued from pit toilet in Ka-Majika
The newborn baby fell into the pit as soon as the mother gave birth, causing panic for the mother and family members on the scene.
A newborn is recovering in Matikwane Hospital after being rescued from a pit toilet in Ka-Majika, near Hazyview, on Tuesday April 5.
According to a Bushbuckridge Fire and Rescue official, Cockroach Mdluli, the mother had given birth while relieving herself, and the baby fell into the pit. “When I arrived at the scene, the neighbours were busy trying to demolish the toilet so that they could safely remove the infant. But time was against them as the baby was in harsh conditions. I had to use a snake-catcher stick to hook the baby’s leg and pull her out of the pit,” said Mdluli.
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No time was spared as the baby was washed and rushed to the hospital along with her mother.
According to Mdluli, the mother and baby were both reported to be in good condition, despite the abnormal incident. Mdluli further stated that the infant was lucky to have survived such a horrible situation. “What happened could only be acknowledged as a horrible memory and a unique start to life,” he said. The mother’s aunt, Lindi Malandule, confirmed that her niece had been pregnant with her third child.
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“When the incident happened, she had been alone at home, but she managed to seek help from her neighbours, who alerted me. Fortunately, when I arrived, the baby was already out of the pit. I assisted in washing her and accompanied them to hospital. The doctors said they would monitor the pair for a few days before discharging them,” Malandule said.
She said the baby is in good condition ‘What happened could only be acknowledged as a horrible memory and a unique start to life’ and is being breastfed. However, the doctors kept the mother and baby in hospital until Friday April 8, as they wanted to make sure that diseases from the toilet pit did not get into the newborn’s stomach and system. “As a family, we are happy that the two survived and are recovering well,” Malandule said. The doctors said the baby was in perfect health when she and her mother had been released from the hospital.
