04 Mar 2013

Investigations into the January 29 Block 9’s Julia Molefhe clinic incident in which clinic staff have been accused of ignoring a pregnant woman such that she gave birth in a car are almost complete.

Chief Public Relations Officer in the Ministry of Health, Mrs Doreen Motshegwa said in an interview that the ministry had appointed a team of officers to investigate the matter and now awaited their recommendations.

The Zimbabwean woman was rushed to the clinic by her husband in the early hours of January 29 as labour commenced. However, her husband alleged that on arrival, the nurses who were on duty that night refused to assist.

She delivered in the vehicle as the husband negotiated with the nurses.

The husband has alleged that the nurses told him instead to take his wife to another clinic and showed no concern for his wife who was in pain. 

Mrs Motshegwe explained that the three nurses involved were all Batswana and that two of them were trained midwives.

She said while Julia Molefhe Clinic did not provide maternity services, the expectation nevertheless, was that as a health facility, it had to be prepared for such eventualities. In this case the nurses had to assist with whatever resources and experience they had before transferring the victim to a facility that offered full maternity services.

She explained that this was the reason why the clinic always had a midwife at hand to attend to such cases. She said preliminary investigations revealed that ambulances were available on that day.

When quizzed if drivers were also available, Mrs Motshegwe said the availability of an ambulance suggested the presence of its driver. Asked when the investigation should be expected to be complete, she said that would be determined by the pace at which the investigating officers would complete their final report.

She also explained that other parties such as the Nurses Association, that issued the suspects (nurses) with the practicing certificate, were taken on board to look into the conduct of their members.

She said if found guilty of misconduct, the affected staff members could be dismissed, demoted or warned.

Mrs Motshegwe explained that the Zimbabwean mother was visited by the Ministry’ management team on the same day of the incident and she, together with the baby were doing well. ENDS