A hartseer Philippi couple says they are struggling to find closure after Groote Schuur Hospital allegedly buried their newborn baby without their consent.
Nwabisa Kwana, 22, says she was about seven months pregnant when she was rushed to hospital where doctors had to perform an emergency C-section.
“I had a concussion so I don’t remember everything but I know I gave birth,” she says.
“When I woke up they told me the baby didn’t make it. They told me it was a miscarriage but how is that possible when I gave birth?”
Kwana explains that she was discharged without even seeing her son.
“I didn’t see my child but the worst thing is that after going back and forth with the hospital, they told us they already buried our child,” she says.
“I am very sad, I will never be able to say goodbye to the child, no closure, nothing like that.”
Grief-stricken father Sipho Phunguza, 33, adds that he sukkels to make peace with his child’s death as the hospital didn’t even show them where the grave is.
“They can’t even show us his grave and we asked to speak to the superintendent of the hospital. He told us he will investigate after two weeks.
“He called and we went to see him and he told us there’s nothing that they can do,” Sipho explains.
“Our question is how come they buried our child without our consent?
“The only explanation they had was a lack of communication. I’m so damn angry, man, we can’t even get closure for our child,” the father adds.
Alaric Jacobs, spokesperson for Groote Schuur Hospital, says the hospital has not been made aware of a complaint from the parents.
“Any allegations that the hospital has not communicated with the parents concerned during this ordeal are unsubstantiated,” he claims.
“The mother went into theatre in August 2022 and sadly she had a miscarriage.
“The social worker and medical manager had an extensive meeting with the parents regarding the procedure when a mom has a miscarriage.
“It is required for the family to come to the hospital to request the body for a funeral after a miscarriage.
“In this case, the family never did that.”
But, a kwaad Sipho says the hospital is not telling the truth.
“They don’t care about it, they are lying now. Secondly, that baby was a stillborn, not a miscarriage. All we need is help from the lawyer to sue them.”