THE Health Department has defended nurses at a Khayelitsha hospital who are accused of having sent a woman in labour back home, where she later gave birth

On Monday Sowetan reported that Motsana Mothobeli, 25, was turned away from Michael Mapongwana Hospital after she was told she was not yet in labour.

Hours later her five-year-old daughter called their neighbours to help her mother give birth in their shack.

Western Cape provincial health spokesperson Faiza Steyn said the nurses had turned Mothobeli away because she was "not in active labour when she visited the hospital".

"She was advised to come back later when she felt contractions but never did. The nurses had done nothing wrong," Steyn said.

She said most of the time pregnant women came to the hospital thinking they were about to give birth when it was a false alarm.

"It was unfortunate that she gave birth a few hours later," Steyn said.

But, the Khayelitsha branch office of Treatment Action Campaign has threatened to take up the matter with their national office. They want to seek legal advice on how to hold the health department accountable for the action of the nurses.

TAC Khayelitsha spokesperson Isaac Mangwana said they were investigating why the young mother gave birth in her shack.

"The hospital should have examined the woman to see when she was due to give birth instead of turning her away.

"If the hospital is at fault, they must face the consequences and account for their actions.

"We will demand a full investigation from the hospital management before taking a decision on what to do next," Mangwana said.

Mothobeli said at 5am on Friday she had gone to the hospital with her husband but was turned away despite informing the nurses that she was in labour.

She went back home where, a few hours later, she gave birth to a baby girl with the help of neighbours.