Durban - Two nurses accused of ignoring a pregnant woman's pleas, have been suspended from KwaZulu-Natal's St Mary's Hospital. The decision has been welcomed by KZN MEC for health, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu.
On Monday, The Mercury reported that Thulisile Khanyile, who was six months pregnant at the time, gave birth to her baby who went on to die just eight hours after her birth.
According to Khanyile, she went to the hospital after experiencing abdominal pain.
She said when she arrived at the hospital and the nurses checked her blood pressure and the doctor on duty called a gynaecologist who examined her and gave instructions that she must be admitted because she was in labour.
Khanyile said she was in the ward with eight other woman and felt the pains again.
She said she alerted the nurses to what was going on and was told to go back to her bed and push.
“I asked them how can I push without their attendance and they told me to go back and push, and they will come to attend to me after I hear the baby crying,” said Khanyile.
She said at around 3.30am she was in immense pain.
“At 3.40am my water broke and I woke the patient who was in the bed opposite me and she rushed to tell the nurses. They didn’t bother to come and assist me and I pushed and gave birth to my baby girl, with help from other patients,” she said.
According to Khanyile, the nurses came in a short while later and took the baby to the nursery. She died eight hours later.
"I have said this before, and I will say it again: there is no space in this Department for anyone who wants to involve themselves in any kind of misconduct, not least of which is disrespect for our fellow compatriots who come to our facilities out of a desperate need for help. It is the job of healthcare professionals to provide care, support, and overall nursing so that these people, who come to us because they have nowhere to go, can overcome whatever ailment they are suffering from," she said.
"Yet, what is alleged to have happened goes against everything that this administration stands for, which is respect for patients and the prioritisation of their needs. Therefore, we expect the accounting officer to investigate and take the necessary disciplinary action when such things happen,” said MEC Simelane-Zulu.
Last month, two nurses who refused to help a Richards Bay woman deliver her baby, were also suspended. Ntombenhle Mthethwa went on to give birth to her baby with the help of a taxi driver.