“I WAS punished for having too many kids and I ended up having to give birth by myself.”
These were the words of Sibongile Dlamini (31) from Waterloo, north of Durban.
She claims that nurses at Osindisweni Hospital refused to help her when she was in labour with her fifth child.
She said they accused her of having a new child almost every year since 2009.
Sibongile told Daily Sun
she ended up giving birth to her son a week ago in the hospital’s labour ward without any help.
“It’s not their duty to tell me how many kids I should have.”
She told the People’s Paper that when she arrived at the hospital, the first thing the nurses did was ask her how many kids she had.
“They told me to deliver the baby on my own, so I would not think about having another child,” said Sibongile.
“My son was fortunately born healthy.
“Nurses then cut the umbilical cord and took the baby.
“I was not even given food.”
She said her wish was for health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo to pay a surprise visit to the hospital so he could see how patients were mistreated.
When the SunTeam spoke to KZN Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, he said Sibongile should take up the issue with the matron of the hospital.
When Daily Sun called yesterday to ask him whether an investigation into the behaviour of the nurses would occur, Dhlomo gave the phone to his spokesman, Desmond Motha.
Motha asked the journalist to send an e-mail inquiry.
He later called, requesting Sibongile’s particulars.
“We will trace her and hear her complaint and address it properly.”