Dispute over death of baby

The baby was born prematurely at 6 months and nurses allegedly put it in a steel cabinet

A LIMPOPO woman lost her baby soon after birth early this month because of alleged negligence by nurses at the Kgapane Hospital in Modjadjiskloof.

The baby was allegedly locked up in a steel cabinet at the institution.

The woman is taking legal action against the provincial department of health and social development.

Sarah Ngobeni, of GaMatshwi village in Bolobedu, told Sowetan yesterday that she was still weighing her options with her lawyers on how much to sue the department for.

The baby was born prematurely at 6 months and nurses allegedly put it in a steel cabinet. It is still unclear why the baby was put there.

The matter has attracted the attention of people from all walks of life in the country, including politicians, traditional and religious institutions and the government.

The Treatment Action Campaign, which was the first to be called to the hospital, was equally perturbed by the incident.

The chief communications and research coordinator Adam Malapa said they had referred the matter to the Aids Law Project to consider taking up the issue legally.

Malapa said investigations revealed that nurses at the hospital had ignored calls by the woman to help her deliver the baby soon after she was ready for the process.

Malapa also said they discovered that the nurses had wrapped the baby in a cloth and locked up it in the cabinet for hours.

They reportedly told the mother that the baby had died.

According to the baby's parents, the baby was still alive when it was locked up in the cabinet.

The medical file of the baby's mother, which was compiled during admission, was also missing.

Ngobeni said yesterday that she was still traumatised by the incident and called on health authorities to intervene to avoid such incidents in future.

Limpopo MEC for health and social development Dikeledi Magadzi said they had dispatched a delegation of officials to the hospital to probe the matter.

"The outcome of the investigations will show us what action needs to be taken," she said.