Health dept: Alex baby was dead when mom got to clinic

The baby whose mother gave birth on a street in Alexandra had already died when its mother arrived at the East Bank Clinic, Gauteng health and social development spokesperson Simon Zwane said on Thursday.

Zwane was speaking after Gauteng minister of health Qedani Mahlangu issued a statement on Wednesday saying a report on the incident confirmed the mother had given birth on a street before she could reach the clinic.

She said the clinic was notified by a member of the South African Police Service that a woman gave birth in the street and an ambulance was called to assist on Tuesday.

The ambulance arrived and took the mother to the clinic.

Mahlangu dismissed reports that staff at the clinic, a block away from where the incident happened, did not assist the woman.

Mahlangu said the team that compiled the incident report also found that the mother had attended antenatal care classes regularly and was due to give birth in July.

However, the mother started experiencing labour pains and bleeding on Tuesday morning at 35 weeks of pregnancy.

She was advised to go to the clinic by her partner at about midday, but the woman gave birth on a street before she could reach the health facility.

Mahlangu said the clinic had the capacity to assist patients who had no complications and it also had an emergency room to assist mothers in the event of emergency deliveries.

“The mother would have received care had she reached the clinic on time,” she said.

“While the incident is regrettable, I am, however, satisfied that the clinic did all it could under the circumstances.

“I call on pregnant mothers to adhere to the education they receive during antenatal visits to clinics,” she said.

Mahlangu said pregnant mothers must go to clinics immediately when they experience pain or bleeding.—Sapa