[ad_1]
Newborn baby. (Photo: Getty / Gallo Images)
- The Mpumalanga health department suspended two nurses after the body of a stillborn baby disappeared.
- Since then, the body has been found in the Witbank morgue.
- The family has requested that a DNA test be performed to confirm the identity of the body.
The Mpumalanga health department has suspended two nurses after the body of a stillborn baby disappeared from Witbank Hospital.
A woman gave birth to a stillborn child on Friday, December 11, by cesarean section, according to the department.
“The woman, who was already 35 weeks pregnant, knew that she was giving birth to a stillborn child,” department spokesman Dumisani Malamule said in a statement.
He said the fetus was in the hospital for the weekend.
When the woman and her family visited the hospital on Monday, December 14, to request the burial of the fetus, they could not be treated. They were told to return the next day, but, when they returned, they still could not be assisted and instead were given the wrong body.
On Thursday, Malamule told News24 that the body was discovered by his employees at the Witbank morgue on Wednesday.
“The family has been informed. However, they have requested that a DNA test be carried out, in order to confirm the identity,” Malamule said.
Suspension
The department now suspended two nurses at the hospital in connection with the incident.
According to Malamule, the department is conducting an internal investigation and the result will help decide the next course of action.
The MEC for health in Mpumalanga, Sasekani Manzini, said that such incidents are not tolerated by the department.
“It is unacceptable that we can misplace a fetus and not be able to account for the whereabouts of the body,” he said.
“This matter must be thoroughly investigated and consequence management must be applied.”
The family has also opened a case with SAPS for investigation.
Police spokesman Colonel Donald Mdhuli said they have opened an investigation into the incident.
