WHEN her twin babies became ill, a woman from Verulam, north of Durban, took them to Osindisweni Hospital.
They were transferred to Mahatma Gandhi in Phoenix. She said nurses and other staff members at the hospital openly joked about her HIV status and threatened to kill her babies when she challenged them.
The 27-year-old mother wants the KZN Health Department to investigate and impose a harsh punishment on staff members implicated in the matter.
“My twins were suffering from diarrhoea and severe loss of weight. I was told they caught an infection from my womb,” the sad woman said. She added on the night of 25 May she overheard two nurses gossiping about her and giggling. “They said I was a magosha and that’s why I infected my kids with HIV. I confronted them and they apologised,” she said.
The next day she reported the nurses to a sister who was in charge of the ward.
“That’s when I invited trouble for myself. They would come in numbers and make fun of my status in front of everyone.”
KZN MEC for health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, said if the woman can identify the nurses who victimised her, she should go back to the hospital.
He said: “Just give her my number and tell her to give me a call when she gets to the hospital.
“These are serious allegations that need to be taken seriously.”
