Mom's horror hospital ordeal

2004-12-13 09:39

Enrico Claassen

Port Elizabeth - A woman allegedly had to lie helpless for hours with her dead baby between her legs after giving birth without medical assistance despite her desperate cries for help.

A traumatised Eleanor Fourie from Schauderville said on Sunday a doctor told her on Thursday her unborn baby - her first child - was very active.

She saw the child's heartbeat when the doctor performed an ultrasound scan on her.

Fourie said she was admitted to Dora Nginza Hospital after getting labour pains.

"I was moaning in pain for about two hours before I was given painkillers," she said while her partner, Clive Kettledas, supported her.

Fourie said she suddenly heard a tearing sound and realised her water had broken.

"I kept calling the nurses to come and help me. I could feel the baby coming out. One of the nurses shouted at me from wherever she was 'What is it?', Fourie said.

She said she was lying on her stomach while the child was born. She could feel the baby moving after it had been born, "but suddenly, everything became still".

"I battled to lift myself up. I saw that it was a boy but that he was already dead. I was too afraid to look at the child again," Fourie said.

She claimed she lay on her bloody hospital bed for about five hours before the nurses came to her the next morning.

Fourie said nobody examined her after the birth, and none of the staff members comforted or supported her after she had lost her baby.

"We looked forward to the baby so much. They could have done something to save my child's life."

Dr Freddie Rank, chief medical superintendent of Port Elizabeth, said he was unaware of the case.

He gave his assurance that the matter would be investigated as soon as he had all the facts at hand.

In October, Nkowezi Admas and her unborn baby girl died under similar circumstances in Dora Ngiza Hospital.

At the time, Dr Ntomi Qungule, medial superintendent of the hospital, said nursing staff never ignored patients.

- Die Burger