Durban - Five children have been left without their mother after she died in what her family believes is “blatant medical negligence” after being treated at two Durban public hospitals.
Sheetal Govender, 28, of Bonela, died on Tuesday, a week after delivering her fifth child at the King George V Hospital.
Her family claim she was treated poorly by hospital staff, called a “bad mother” for not visiting her baby despite not being able to, and wasn’t bathed by the nurses in more than a week.
It was a fall from her hospital bed that allegedly caused her health to deteriorate, after which doctors said she died of cardiac arrest.
“Sheetal was rushed to hospital on November 20 after she started vomiting blood. She was six and a half months into her pregnancy at the time.
"Doctors said her placenta burst and they needed to perform an emergency caesarean. They did so and our baby girl was born,” said Deena Govender, Sheetal’s husband.
After her baby was delivered, the mother continued to experience pain and was unable to do anything for herself.
Her baby was transferred to Addington Hospital for treatment that week, after which, she too, was transferred.
“They sent her to Addington Hospital in an ambulance with no hospital records or transferral letters. When she got to the hospital, she was left out in the foyer on her stretcher for more than half the day before she was transferred to a ward.
“Her hospital files only came through a day later. The hospital didn’t know what to do with her or how to treat her,” Deena Govender said.
He said her health had been worsened due to the delay in receiving treatment at
Addington.
She experienced several “attacks” where her body would quiver uncontrollably.
“Her health wasn’t improving and doctors were giving her potassium drips and medication because her levels were believed to be low.
“She complained the drips were causing her immense pain. Every time she rang the bell for assistance, nobody bothered to help her; then we discovered that the bell wasn’t even working.
"On Tuesday morning she had another attack and in the process, fell from her bed."
Govender said that later on Tuesday afternoon, his wife had called her mother and chatted to her, saying she wanted her to bring some books or magazines for her to read.
“She called her mum at 3pm. At 3.30pm, we received a call from the hospital saying we must come through urgently to discuss Sheetal’s condition.
“When we arrived there, we were informed it was too late, they couldn’t save her. She had passed away,” said Govender.
The shattered husband was told that his wife had an abnormal heart which led to a cardiac arrest.
“I am puzzled by how doctors were unable to pick up that she had a heart problem despite doing several tests.
“They also told us she had a mild infection but they did nothing to treat it; they were horrible to her.
"The attitude of the nurses is what hurts us the most. They don’t seem to care about how they treat their patients.”
He said the family had tried to make contact with hospital management on several occasions but they had been unable to get an appointment with the head of department.
“We are still awaiting her post-mortem results. The doctors have already told us that her death is under investigation,” he said.
The baby is still at the Addington hospital, weighing 1.1kg. She was named Deepali by her mother before her death.
“She is our hope and we are praying she pulls through her struggle,” said Govender.