Nursing staff at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Umlazi, south of Durban, have been disciplined by the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department after the accidental switching of two babies three weeks ago.
The incident happened a week after the babies were born, one of whom has since died. The death had nothing to do with the baby switching.
Provincial health spokesperson Mdu Ncalane said the department had acted after a posting on social media that a 17-year-old apparently went home with the wrong baby days after giving birth. She had received a call from the hospital to return the infant as there had been a mix-up, and a DNA sample confirmed the baby was not hers.
Ncalane said the first DNA test conducted identified the right mother, and a second test has been conducted to find out if the baby who died belonged to the other mother. The results are due in two weeks.
He said the case had been investigated and disciplinary measures taken against the implicated staff.
News24 article – Durban hospital disciplines staff after baby mix up (Open access)
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