Ekurhuleni – A 15-year-old girl from Daveyton, Ekurhuleni, has made harrowing allegations against the Far East Rand Hospital, claiming she was left to give birth to twins on her own, with her desperate cries for help allegedly ignored by nurses. The hospital vehemently denies these claims.
The twins, born prematurely at 25 weeks, tragically died during the ordeal. The heartbroken teenager now seeks to bury her children, but her family alleges the hospital informed them that the remains had already been cremated without their consent.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the Grade 10 learner from a local high school expressed her anguish: "The hospital hasn't told me what they have done to the remains of my children. My family wants to give them a decent burial." The father of the twins is reportedly her boyfriend and classmate.
The teen had been diligently attending antenatal classes and medical check-ups at her local clinic, accompanied by her mother and aunt. However, she claims she only discovered she was carrying twins when she went into premature labour at school on 25 February. Her mother and aunt rushed her to the Far East Rand Hospital, where a doctor examined her and delivered the unexpected news.
Upon arrival at the hospital, the teen's mother requested a wheelchair for her daughter, who was struggling to walk. "As I sat on the wheelchair, my water broke," she recounted. "I was pushed to a ward where a doctor examined me and said I was carrying twins."
"I Gave Birth to a Boy on My Own"
A few minutes after being placed in a ward, the pain intensified. "I called nurses to come and help. They didn't come. I could feel that the baby was coming out. I gave birth to a boy on my own," she claimed. "After giving birth, a nurse arrived, cut the umbilical cord and took my child away. Before she could leave, I told her that the second baby was on the way." The teen alleges the nurse ignored her plea and walked away with the first baby.
Gauteng health department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba refuted the allegations, stating: "According to reports from the hospital, the delivery was done with the assistance of the nurses in the ward." Modiba added that the teen was admitted to the gynaecology ward due to her being only 25 weeks pregnant with a medical condition. "She gave birth to twins. The first twin was delivered alive but in need of medical attention and was rushed to the premature unit, where he died within 24 hours."
"I Screamed, Calling Nurses, and No One Responded"
Approximately 30 minutes after the first birth, the contractions resumed. "I screamed, calling nurses, and no one responded. A pregnant woman in the ward jumped off her bed and ran out of the ward, calling nurses to come and help," the teen recounted. "I then gave birth to the second baby boy on my own. He, too, was crying. I was weak and bleeding. The baby lay on my legs. I called my mother, telling her I had given birth to two boys on my own."
She claims her mother was prevented from entering the ward. "I took pictures of the second baby, whose umbilical cord was still attached to me. He was crying, and I didn't know what to do except to pat him on his back and cover him with a sheet to keep him warm."
The teen alleges that nurses eventually returned to the ward and began shouting at her. "They said I should have waited for them before giving birth to my second child. I was crying. My child stopped crying. A nurse lifted him in the air by his leg and said he had died," she said, adding that the nurse then informed her that her first baby had also passed away.
According to Modiba, the second baby was stillborn.
Family Alleges Unauthorised Cremation
The girl's aunt alleges the hospital "cremated" the twins without the family's permission. The family returned to the hospital on Monday seeking answers. "Nurses said my niece gave birth to twins weighing 700 grams and 800 grams. A senior nurse then claimed that the teen's mother gave the hospital permission to cremate the twins," the aunt stated. "One senior official at the hospital claimed her colleagues were negligent and advised us to lay criminal charges and sue the hospital." The family is now demanding the return of the remains.
Modiba stated that due to the babies' low weight, the bodies could not be released to the family for burial. "However, the grandmother of the babies signed the incineration forms for both babies after an explanation from the sister in the ward," he added. "We can further confirm that both bodies were shown to the family for closure. The mother was provided with two sessions of counselling. She is always welcome to come back to the facility for more sessions if she still struggles and is not coping with the loss for continuous psychological support."
Witness Corroborates Teen's Account
Reginah Phambani, who was in the same ward as the teenager, corroborated the teen's account. "I witnessed everything. I saw the teen when she arrived in our ward. I even asked if she was there to give birth, she replied that she didn't know. You could see on her face that she was in excruciating pain. She gave birth twice on her own," Phambani stated. "A nurse only came after the first child arrived and took him away. That child was alive. The teen again gave birth to her second child on her own. After the second baby's arrival, nurses arrived and started shouting at her."
Phambani also shared her own distressing experience at the Far East Rand Hospital three years prior. "What happened to her also happened to me on 22 February 2022 at the same hospital. I gave birth to a stillborn baby on my own. Nurses refused to help me until I gave birth."
Teenager "Not Ready" to Return to School
The teenager stated she is currently "not ready" to return to school. "I will go back to school when I am healed psychologically and physically. I am not ready to mix with people at school. I don't know if they are aware of what I have been through. My boyfriend is supportive and calls me regularly to comfort me," she said.
Luzonne Mentz, a counsellor specialising in bereaved parents, explained that the bodies of miscarried babies younger than 26 weeks' gestation are typically regarded as medical waste, and families must request permission to collect the remains. The Far East Rand Hospital is now facing serious questions regarding its handling of this tragic case, with the family determined to uncover the truth and seek justice for their lost loved ones.
