VIDEO | Soweto mother demands justice for infant’s death

A Soweto mother is demanding justice after her newborn baby died just nine days after she gave birth, claiming it was due to negligence by clinic staff.

Phumla Gubudela alleges that a nurse at Zola Clinic instructed her to stand up during the last stages of labour despite her repeated warnings that the baby was already crowning, causing the infant’s head to hit the floor.

Medical records from the Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital said Gubudela’s infant died due to complications after suffering blunt force head trauma.

Gauteng police spokesperson Capt Tintswalo Sibeko said an inquest has been opened. “No arrest has been made. [The] investigation is continuing,” she said.

The 27-year-old mother was rushed to the clinic after experiencing labour pains on September 13. She told Sowetan that on arrival at the clinic a nurse checked how far she was from giving birth.

“The nurse then proceeded to examine me and told me I was 5cm dilated [This indicates that labour is progressing.] After she [nurse] examined me, she sent me to another room,” she said.

Gubudela said when she entered the labour room, there were three nurses and another pregnant patient who was in bed.

“I entered the room and because I was already feeling labour pains and couldn’t walk, I knelt down. One of the three nurses spoke harshly to me, telling me to stand up and come to where she was sitting.

“I told her I could feel the baby coming out, and I couldn’t stand up, but she repeatedly instructed me to come to her table, and as I was walking towards her, my baby came out and hit the floor with her head,” Gubudela said.

She had named her deceased daughter Kwandokuhle. She was her third child.

The baby was then taken to another room, and the nurses told Gubudela that they would be transferring both of them to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. All this time, the baby was quiet and not crying.

Gubudela and Kwandokuhle were both admitted, but the mother was discharged the following day, September 14. She was told that her daughter would remain for further examinations. Kwandokuhle was kept in the hospital for three days.

“Around 4pm on September 22, after breastfeeding her, she just became weak,” Gubudela said.

“We rushed her to Bheki Mlangeni, and they told me my daughter’s heartbeat had stopped, but because she was still warm, they would try to resuscitate her. But a few minutes later, they told me she’s no more.”

Gubudela said the nurses asked her what she had done to her baby because she had bruises on both her hands. She told them they were caused by the drips they had inserted during her hospital stay.

She repeatedly instructed me to come to her table, and as I was walking towards her, my baby came out and hit the floor with her head.”

—   Phumla Gubudela

“That’s when I told them exactly what had happened: that I gave birth on the floor, and my baby’s head hit the ground. After hearing that, they told me this was not a natural death, and they called the police,” she said.

According to her, the hospital has still not taken responsibility for the negligence of its staff. Instead, she says the clinic’s matron told her that because the family is pursuing legal action, they must now deal with the hospital’s lawyers.

Gubudela said losing Kwandokuhle was a pain she carries every day.

“It would have been better if she was sick, or if I had complications during my pregnancy,” she said. “But that’s not what happened. Every day I wonder how big she would be today, how grown she would look right now.”

The Gauteng health department said an internal investigation is under way.

“The department ... has instituted a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the delivery and the subsequent death of the infant. At the moment, it would be premature to speculate on the cause of death...”

The department has offered counselling and psychosocial support to Gubudela.

Sowetan