Following an oversight visit to Mamelodi Hospital in Tshwane, the Democratic Alliance (DA) says it is not surprised by recent reports of a woman left with little choice but to give birth standing up, stating the maternity section is completely understaffed. News24 reports that DA MP Siviwe Gwarube and Gauteng MPL Jack Bloom visited the hospital on Monday morning during an unannounced inspection following the story of Theresa Ngwendu whose baby allegedly died after falling to the ground in early August.
"We can understand why these things happened. This hospital is completely and utterly understaffed," Gwarube said. She added the maternity ward currently had two midwives instead of 12, and only one doctor on duty. Gwarube said there was also no space in the maternity ward for the number of women giving birth and the hospital gave mothers up to six hours to vacate their beds after giving birth, to make space for the next woman in labour.
Bloom said in the report that nurses in the maternity section have been promised that vacant posts would be filled and he hoped the maternity ward would also be extended as it was "totally overcrowded".
The report says last week, the spokesperson for Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku, Kwara Kekana, said the department had received a report from the hospital about the incident, noting it had been in touch with the family for redress.
[link url="https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/completely-understaffed-da-pays-oversight-visit-to-troubled-mamelodi-hospital-20190826"]News24 report[/link]