Pregnant woman allegedly commits suicide at Kopanong Hospital

VEREENIGING. – Kedibone Thamae (43) from Sharpeville, is asking for answers after her Seven month Pregnant Daughter, 26-year-old Refilwe Thamae allegedly committed suicide at Kopanong Hospital. It is alleged that Refilwe hanged herself with her head scarf in the hospital’s bathroom.

Her mother was alerted in the early hours of Saturday morning, 09 September.

Kedibone says: “Refilwe started showing signs of being mentally disturbed of Thursday. I had left Refilwe inside the house and gone to the shops and when I came back, she was not home. I later received a call from a family friend that Refilwe is roaming around the streets of Vereeniging, with plastics carrying her clothes and that of the baby and she is throwing the clothes in the street.

Kedibone says she alerted her mother and they went to Vereeniging where they looked for Refilwe.

Refilwe was later found and the Vereeniging police assisted by calling an ambulance for her. Kedibone accompanied her daughter to Kopanong Hospital in Vereeniging.

“On arrival, she was treated. They said they would find her a ward at Sebokeng Hospital. Later they told me that she was no longer being transferred to Sebokeng as they would be taking her to a side ward in the maternity section.

“I thought I left my daughter in good hands and that she would be safe and get healed. In the early hours of Saturday morning, two police officers arrived at my home and told me that I had to come to the hospital to sign papers.

“When we got to the hospital, I was alerted of my daughter’s alleged suicide. They told me that she had used her headscarf to hang herself. What I want to know is, where were they when my daughter took her own life. I want my kids,” Kedibone said.

The inconsolable mother further told Sedibeng Ster that this incident has left her broken, with many unanswered questions.

“I wish they could have at least saved the baby, now both of them are gone.”

The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) spokesperson, Motaletale Modiba says: “GDoH can confirm that a 25-year-old female patient who was pregnant presented at Kopanong District Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit on 8 September being escorted by her mother. The patient was then seen by a Doctor who eventually diagnosed her. She was then admitted at a maternity Ward where sedation and restraints were prescribed and applied.

Modiba states that the patient was later nursed in a side ward due to her condition being triggered by crying babies.

“Unfortunately, as the team was conducting mid-night rounds, the patient was not in her bed and later she was found hanging in the bathroom. The incident has been reported to SAPS which has already opened an inquest docket.

“The Department’s Quality Assurance unit will also conduct an internal investigation as this case falls under what we call Patient Safety Incident which has includes suicides under patient factors. The internal process takes 60 days to conclude the case independent of the police investigation,” he said.

Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirms that police have launched an inquest case docket.