SEBOKENG. – The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) says it has been made aware of an incident where a family alleges they were given the wrong baby to bury after an incident of a still-birth at Sebokeng Hospital on 28 April.
This is after a Sebokeng family made allegations that the body of a baby boy they were given by the hospital was not theirs, saying that that theirs was a baby-girl.
Speaking on Newzroom Afrika recently, the mother Ntsebeng Motaung (29) said: “After giving birth, the nurse held the baby up to show us. I was asked if I could see the gender of the child. I said, ‘Yes, it’s a baby girl.’ The nurse then left with the baby.”
Motaung said she was later told to alert her family that the baby was no more adding that Social Workers were brought in to give her counselling.
Motaung’s sister Tlalane Motaung, said when they got to the mortuary, they were shown the child’s chest with the mother’s details on the piece of paper stuck on it, and then the baby was taken away.
The family went on to make preparations for the burial of the baby but the funeral service of the baby had to be halted after the family was given a body of a baby boy.
“On the day when the mother and other family members got to the mortuary, they were given a baby boy and not a girl. They called to tell me that I should tell the guests there won’t be a funeral because there is a problem,” she said.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, Sebokeng Hospital’s spokesperson Lerato Sedulawesi said the Quality Assurance team is currently working on the case to ensure that there is closure.
“There has already been a redress meeting with the family on Friday, 05 May 2023 where the family was offered psychosocial services that they can access whenever they are ready to attend the session.
“Quality Assurance is currently engaging the family to finalize the issue of conducting DNA tests which will help to settle this matter. The process cannot proceed until we get consent for the patient,” she said
Sedibeng Ster has inquired with police spokesperson Constable Nonhlanhla Nkosi regarding the incident. More information will be shared as the story unfolds.
