The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has promised to build a new home for a 39-year-old unemployed mother who ended up giving birth to triplets at GJ Crookes Hospital, even though she expected twins.
Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane visited the mother and her babies on Thursday, along with Ugu District Mayor Sizwe Ngcobo, Umdoni Mayor Sibongile Khathi and MP Fikile Masiko, during the unveiling of 84-bed Covid-19 isolation wards.
Simelane also took along gifts for all-male triplets Aphile, Asiphile and Asibonge, such as clothes, nappies and blankets.
According to the department, Malitha Ndlovu from KwaDukuza village initially felt overwhelmed when she found out during the delivery last Thursday that she was having triplets.
"I was confused at first… when the doctor told me while I was delivering that I was going to have two babies. I asked her whether she was serious, and she said yes," Ndlovu said.
"When they found the third baby, I was somewhat sad because I was really not expecting to have so many babies," she added.
Ndlovu said the father, Mlungisi Mzizi, who is also unemployed, was shocked when he heard that they were having triplets.
"To the point that when I told him on the phone about the triplets, he initially said he couldn't hear me properly and put the phone down. He then called me back and asked for the second time how many babies I had given birth to," she recalled.
"When I told him that it's triplets, he said it's okay, and that even though he's unemployed, we will see what we will do."
Child support grants
The department added that Ndlovu wished her babies good health and prosperity. She also expressed a wish to secure herself a job so she could take better care of them.
She said she would register the triplets so that they could receive child support grants, like her other two children do.
The triplets, who weighed 1.86kg, 1.2kg, and 1.71kg, have been given a clean bill of health, but will remain under the supervision of healthcare professionals for the next two weeks for continued care and weight gain.
Simelane said that they agreed to assist Ndlovu.
The assistance will be coming from Mayor Ngcobo from the district and Mayor Khathi from the local municipality.
"I must say that we really appreciate the commitment that they have made so that the family will be assisted," Simelane added.
"It's a very joyous situation when you're expecting a baby. It's also joyous when you get three babies, because it means you're blessed threefold. But it also has serious financial implications, and we have to come in to assist."
She congratulated the Ndlovu family as well as the hospital team that delivered the babies.
The MEC went on to officially open the hospital's newly renovated 35-bed maternity ward, which is currently being used for Covid-19 isolation, as well as a separate, purpose-built 49-bed isolation ward.
"We are very happy with the work that we've seen, as well as the work that our healthcare workers are doing. We've also seen the hospital's vaccination site. We know that they have three within Umdoni; one is in Park Rhynie, and the third one is an outreach team," she said.
"The kind of work that is being done here is exciting. We've come to say to the workers: 'Thank you very much; we appreciate your work,'" Simelane added.
SOURCE: NEWS24
