Baby maimed during labour
2009-11-22 22:54
Klerksdorp - The head and arms of a large baby boy were allegedly ripped off by doctors and nursing staff last week at the local hospital, while his mother spent hours in labour.
Baby Lemeel Booysen's head and arms were apparently stitched back onto the body before it was shown to his 29-year-old mother, Faiza. The "joins" are clearly visible on photos taken by her husband, Donovan.
On Tuesday last week, Faiza was in labour for several hours in the Klerksdorp hospital, while doctors and nursing staff "fiddled and pulled and tugged around inside" her.
On the previous day she'd been informed that Lemeel, who weighed 4.7kg at birth, had died in her womb. She, and allegedly some of the nursing staff as well, doubted this, because they could still feel the baby moving.
"In the delivery room they told me I must push because the baby's getting tired. How could he be getting tired if he wasn't alive?" Faiza asked.
At one stage, two doctors and a nursing sister sat on top of her and pressed on her stomach in an attempt to get Lemeel out, said Faiza. And while this was going on, someone was constantly turning and pulling at the baby inside Faiza.
Looked like a butchery
"The room was full. I think the whole ward seven (all the staff on the ward) was there. It looked like a butchery [because of all the blood] when they were finished," said Faiza.
Apparently it was the fourth doctor who was called in to assist who finally said Faiza should be taken to the operating theatre.
Booysen had been given medication to induce labour the previous day, despite the fact that the baby was apparently "dead", and there was a note on her file saying a caesarean section had been scheduled for November 18 due to the baby's size.
According to Booysen, when the decision was made that she should go to theatre, everyone disappeared from the delivery room. She turned her head and saw Lemeel's head lying in a silver bowl on the instrument table. It was half covered by a green sheet.
"I don't know when his arms came off, but that must also have happened in the delivery room," said Faiza.
Doctors later apparently told Lemeel's father that he must understand that "the baby was simply too big" to survive. Faiza, who has three other children, has problems with diabetes during pregnancies.
She has lost two other babies, at six and four months respectively.
Forgive them
Apparently a social worker who paid a visit to Faiza in hospital told her she "should forgive the people" who were involved at the birth, because everyone makes mistakes.
Mr Booysen phoned the police. The next day, he made a statement, after which Lemeel's body was apparently sent to Potchefstroom for a post-mortem.
Kebaakae Metsi, provincial police spokesperson, was not aware of the incident.