Probe Ordered After Woman Gives Birth Outside Gauteng Clinic

The Gauteng Health Department has condemned circumstances that led to a woman giving birth outside a clinic.

The department has termed the behavior of the nurses at Stanza Bopape Clinic in Mamelodi as shocking and unacceptable.

On Saturday night, Elina Maseko (45) was in labour when she was turned away by staff at the clinic. Nurses reportedly told her to go to a hospital, because her pregnancy was high risk owing to her age.

With no means to get to another facility, Maseko gave birth right outside the hospital, aided by a family member.

“We immediately set up a team of our quality assurance and labour relations managers to investigate the matter and make sure that there’s proper action taken against those responsible.

“There were three professional nurses that evening when this incident happened. So, the investigation will help us identify who among them refused to help the patient or if it’s all three of them,” Gauteng Health Department’s Tshwane District Manager Mothomone Pitisi said.