Mom tells of horror delivery
2010-03-11 08:11
Johannesburg - A couple from Lichtenburg in North West are planning to take action against the provincial health department after their first-born, for whom they'd been waiting for years, died shortly after her birth in the General De la Rey hospital in Lichtenburg.
Beuline Smith, 26, was in hospital for four days "with severe pain" before her baby daughter, Brooklyn, was born after hours in labour on February 27.
For a long time the baby's body, which was not cleaned, lay where another maternity ward patient could see it.
Foetal distress
The hospital told Beeld that the baby died due to "foetal distress", but Smith and her husband, Willem, said they had to sign a death certificate stating that Brooklyn died of "natural causes" without being given an explanation as to the cause of her death.
The Smiths say they were never given the option of a post-mortem. The hospital's defence is that a post-mortem was not performed because "the couple did not request it or give their permission".
Among other things, the Smiths want to know why Smith didn't have a Caesarean section, as was discussed before. She says blood was drawn from her and sent away for testing on February 25th specifically for the purpose of a Caesarean.
Smith alleges the night sisters and nursing staff paid her very little attention. One of them apparently even told Smith to "never do that again" when she woke her up to complain about pain.
High blood pressure
Tebogo Lekgethwane, provincial healthcare spokesperson, told Beeld that a doctor who examined Smith determined that she would be able to have a normal birth.
She was admitted to hospital on February 23 due to high blood pressure, which is dangerous during pregnancy. This had to be brought under control before the baby could be born.
According to Lekgethwane, Smith received pain medication "at varying intervals".
Smith was in labour for hours while nursing staff pushed down on her stomach. At one stage, her husband and mother were even asked to hold her legs in the air.
"They (the nurses) were punching and pounding my stomach, but no matter how hard they punched, the baby didn't come out," said Smith. The night sister eventually showed up shortly before 19:00 and performed a vaginal cut in order to help the labour along.
Lekgethwane said they tried for quite a while to revive Brooklyn. According to him, the baby couldn't be cleaned for an hour thereafter, but he didn't provide reasons.
'All alone again'
"We prayed so hard for this little baby. We were very excited about our little bundle of joy. And now we're all alone again," said Smith.
The department said it will investigate the conditions in the hospital's toilets, which are reportedly filthy. Apparently there was also old, dry blood in the delivery room.
"We want to take action so this won't happen to anyone else. They should turn it (the delivery room) into a butchery. They (the nursing staff) are not worthy of their occupation," said Smith's husband.