(Picture Courtesy of Facebook): Ontiretse Madieng
By REGINALD KANYANE
Ontiretse Madieng (21) from Rooiwal village in Taung considers herself lucky after allegedly giving birth without any assistance from nurses at Taung District Hospital recently. Madieng said she received a horrible treatment from the nurses at the hospital and she was forced to give birth without any assistance while nurses were asleep.
“I experienced some labour pains on Sunday last week and went to the hospital for medical assistance. I was admitted at the hospital and truly, I felt safe at the unit. However, my situation took a drastic turn when I started to experience twinges, cramps and contractions. I informed the antenatal midwives who were on duty, but they disregarded me.
“They dosed me for labour induction and sent me back to sleep. I stayed at the hospital until Tuesday. At around 9pm I was in excruciating pains and knew that I was in labour. I went to the nurses and inform them about my situation. To my surprises, I was turned away and told that I was not dilated at all,” she said.
Madieng said she was crestfallen when she was ordered to go back to sleep again. She alleged that she went to those ‘sleeping nurses’ for the third time after her waters broke.
“The situation freaked me out and asked if this was not labour then what was it going to be like? However, I received no answers, instead, nurses told me to stop being repellent. I went back to my ward, climbed on my bed and gave birth on my own.
“The real stressful thing about the whole situation was I felt I was really on top of it, but incompetent nurses told me otherwise. I managed to give birth to a bouncing baby boy and nurses came afterwards. They took me away and stitched me. They instructed me to sleep afterwards,” she said.
Madieng said she woke up around 3am and asked for her baby. She was shocked when she allegedly received a baby only ‘wrapped up’ with a disintegrating blanket.
“I could not believe it when I touched him. He was so cold and my thoughts were plagued with anxiety. I wonder what might have happened to him if I did not wake up on time. I think is high time now for the department of health to take drastic measures against incompetent nurses at the hospital.
“There was another heavily pregnant woman in the same unit who was experiencing labour pains, but nurses left her unattended. Actually, they passed sarcasm remarks and told her to walk around to ease pains. Nurses at the hospital ill-treat patients especially at the maternity unit,” said Madieng.
Meanwhile, the North West Health Department spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane said: “According to the hospital management, the Patient Relations Officer was already aware of the voice clip and made follow-up with maternity unit operational manager. She further tried to call the patient to get her side of the story on Tuesday even though there was no formal complaint forwarded to her or the hospital management, but unfortunately, she didn’t pick up her phone.
“According to our records, it is not true that the patient could have delivered herself due to the fact that she was a primigravida (first time being pregnant) and since her labour was induced. She was given the last dose for labour induction around 14h35 and monitoring was done.”
Lekgethwane added that last PV checking was around 20h55 and she was 1cm dilated and membranes ruptured. He said Madieng was again to be done second PV checking 4 hours later.
“It is not true that nurses did not take care of her as there was also another delivery that nurse did at 00h33. Madieng delivered in the ward with the assistance of the nurses and if labour was not supported by nurses, she could have suffered serious injuries as she delivered a 3.8kg baby.
“Madieng only had a second-degree tear that was same sutured and postnatal care initiated. The department will continue to investigate the matter by means of interviewing all affected parties,” Lekgethwane concludes.
The Guardian 