Sister Tshililo: The midwife who delivered quadruplets
Sister Tshililo Mphaphuli has encouraged nurses to have compassion for others and to do anything to help.
LIMPOPO – Sister Tshililo Mphaphuli, a midwife at the rural Masisi Clinic outside Musina was on her way home after work when she met a heavily pregnant woman entering the clinic.
The Masisi Clinic doesn’t operate 24 hours, but Mphaphuli said at the time she took the risk because there was no transport to take the patient to hospital.
Read more: Masisi Clinic staff assists woman to give birth to quadruplets
She decided to go the extra mile on that day.
“I encourage nurses to have compassion for others. Nursing is a noble profession and we have to think for other people, especially in the rural communities, and do anything to help,” said Mphaphuli
She told the media that she has been communicating with the new mother since that day.
Mphaphuli was over the moon that Health MEC, Dr Phophi Ramathuba visited her on October 21 at the clinic to appreciate her good work and announced that the department will pay for her to further her studies.
Ramathuba congratulated midwives and all other nurses who participated in the delivery of the quadruplets at Masisi Clinic on October 18.
A spokesperson for the department, Thilivhali Muavha said the midwife went back to assist the patient only to find out that the woman was in labour.
“The nurse took the necessary risk to deliver the woman’s babies and succeeded in deliveries four infants. Naturally, delivering quadruplets is a risk and a procedure done at hospitals under the supervision of a doctor, but this brave midwife together with her staff rose to the occasion. The mother and her bundles of joy were thereafter transferred to Donald Fraser Hospital.”
According to Muavha, the mother and babies were reportedly doing well, except for the fourth one who was admitted to the hospital nursery because of low birth weight and mild respiratory distress.
Ramathuba urges pregnant women to prioritise their antenatal consultations in order to reduce risks during child birth.
She commended the midwife and her staff for a sterling job.
“Looking at the complexity of the process they underwent in order to deliver these children, we are really proud of their dedication. Also the fact that, the nurses had knocked off, but had to go back to be on duty, just to assist this one patient, needs to be commended,” Ramathuba said.
