A Musina Hospital is carrying out an investigation after accusations of negligence in the case of a patient who said she was left to give birth on her own, with no help, in a general ward. Her premature baby was born without a heartbeat, writes Maanda Bele for Health-e News.
Monica Madumi (22), who was five months pregnant at the time, was admitted to the hospital on the evening of 28 June after her waters broke. Although a doctor initially said everything appeared normal, she was later told her womb had begun opening and that a miscarriage was likely.
She claims her condition deteriorated overnight, and that staff ignored her repeated calls for help. She said she eventually went into labour, but delivered the baby on her own in bed before a passing nurse noticed and fetched help.
She said staff were dismissive of her pleas and even chastised her afterwards for initially refusing labour-inducing medication, which she declined at first based on advice from her mother.
Her mother, Precious Madumi, said this was not the first time the hospital had failed her daughter. “She was forced to carry a deceased foetus for almost a week the last time she miscarried here. She got an infection. Now it’s happened again.”
The family believes her treatment may have been influenced by her previous miscarriage at the same hospital.
Neil Shikwambana, spokesperson for the Limpopo Department of Health, confirmed a formal complaint had been laid but said preliminary checks “indicate that the patient was attended to accordingly”.
“The hospital had sufficient staff on the night in question – three professionals were on duty for 25 patients across male and female wards.”
Shikwambana said that while the patient had initially refused induction medication, she was later placed on a drip and induced.
He added that the family was referred for psychological support, which they declined, and that the department’s complaint management team was investigating the matter further.
‘Staff can’t walk away’
On the patient’s rejecting specific treatment, Dr Mzulungile Theo Nodikida, from the South African Medical Association (SAMA) told Health-e News that “refusing care does not mean healthcare workers can walk away”.
He said while patients have a legal right to refuse treatment, especially if they are mentally competent, that refusal does not strip the hospital of its duty to provide ongoing support and basic medical care.
“Healthcare workers must ensure that refusal is informed, documented, and doesn’t result in abandonment. If a patient is left to deliver alone, despite being in active labour and there’s no record of monitoring or staff response, then even a refusal of induction cannot shield a hospital from accountability.”
He said that under the National Health Act, patients must be properly informed of the risks of refusing treatment, particularly in emergencies such as obstetric complications.
“In maternal-foetal cases, the stakes are higher, and extra steps must be taken.”
He said it was not enough to have a patient sign a form; clinicians needed to document the conversation in detail, confirm the patient understood the consequences, and ensure she was still monitored.
“If a patient is left alone, bleeding heavily, delivering without assistance, that is a red flag, regardless of whether she refused induction,” Nodikida added. “Hospitals can still be held liable if basic duties were neglected.”
Limpopo Health says its investigation is ongoing, and remedial action would be taken if shortcomings were found.
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