Woman dies in hospital toilet

2008-01-03 22:22

Sydney Masinga

Polokwane - Limpopo police are investigating the death of a woman who was found dead in a toilet at Lebowakgomo hospital.

Mahlatse Mashabela (28) of Mogodi Ga-Mphahlele had gone to the hospital for treatment for diarrhoea on Sunday.

She was treated and discharged, but she and her mother didn't have money for transport back home, so they slept in the hospital waiting area, said Lebowakgomo police spokesperson, Inspector Manong Tshehla, on Thursday.

"Apparently, at one point she borrowed an apron from her mother and went to the toilet, but her mother became worried when she did not come back after 20 minutes," said Tshehla.

Her mother went to look for her and found her unconscious on the floor of the toilet with the apron around her neck.

She called a nurse and doctor who quickly took Mashabela to an emergency ward, but she was declared dead.

Tshehla said police were not ruling out murder, but would wait for the postmortem results to determine the cause of death.

"We will then take it from there," he said.

He said the postmortem results were expected before the end of the week.

Spokesperson for the provincial department of health and social development, Phuti Seloba, said the department would conduct its own investigation into the matter.

He said it was the duty of the department or hospital to provide patients with a safe place to wait if they don't have transport to go home at night.

- African Eye