'My sister miscarried because of this clinic'

Bongi Mrwedi, who miscarried when she was five months pregnant, has laid a complaint against staff at a Diepsloot clinic, saying that when she was bleeding after her waters broke, they told her she was seeking special treatment and should return in the morning.

It was only after her sister Sarah Sekoto fought on her behalf that another doctor was called to see her over two hours later. The doctor transferred Mrwedi to a hospital but they could not save the child.

“My sister would not have lost her first child had the first doctor checked if her womb was open or not when she said she was having pains and bleeding,” said Sekoto. “Instead they said she had an infection and gave her antibiotics and an injection.”

Gauteng health department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said they were aware of the complaints laid against the two clinic staff members. 

“[But] the department does not know the cause of the miscarriage,” Modiba said. “Clinically, it is unclear what else could have been done to save the baby.”

According to Sekoto, her sister began bleeding and having abdominal pains at about 9pm. She was rushed to the OR Tambo clinic in Diepsloot, where she was given an injection and antibiotics, and told to return  if the pains continued. 

Mrwedi went home with her sister but a few hours later she woke up crying from debilitating pains, saying she was having contractions.

“When we got to the clinic and told the nurse what happened, he told my sister to come back in the morning, saying there was nothing wrong with her baby and that they were just normal pains,” said Sekoto. “He said he could see that my sister was at the clinic last night and that she was just seeking special treatment.”

Sekoto said as she was trying to plead with the nurse, a doctor came in. But he also told them to come back in the morning because Mrwedi had been given an injection earlier. 

At about 2am, Sekoto went to another doctor who assessed Mrwedi and called an ambulance, which took her and her sister to the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital in Coronationville. 

“When we got to the hospital at 2.45am, the doctor told me there was a possibility to save my sister’s baby, but the chances were slim. However, a few minutes later they told me my sister had miscarried.”

Mrwedi returned to the OR Tambo clinic to lay a complaint and alleges that when she did the clinic manager told her she was tired of the complaints laid against the two employees and that they were going to a hearing on March 18 for other complaints against them. 

A clinic employee who wanted to remain anonymous said patients had also complained about the two staff members previously, but because they were never in written form, the clinic could not resolve them.

Modiba said the health department did not know anything about a hearing against the two employees but that they had been referred to an employee wellness programme for further management.

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