#Birth and Death in the taxi

IN PAIN, Ester rushed to the clinic and told the nurses her baby was coming. 

But they sent her away, telling her to find her own way to the hospital. 

THE BABY WAS BORN – AND DIED – IN THE TAXI LONG BEFORE SHE REACHED THE HOSPITAL.

Ester Singwani (32), from Shibangwa Village in Malamulele, Limpopo said she will forever suffer the agony of watching her newborn baby dying in the back of the taxi on Monday.

The grieving woman believes her child would be alive if the nurses at Nghezimani Clinic had given her the right medical treatment.

Ester told Daily Sun when she started feeling labour pains she went to the clinic. But when she got there, nurses sent her home, saying it was not time for the baby to come.

“They checked me but told me I must go to Malamulele Hospital. Instead of calling the ambulance they told me to get there on my own.”

Terrified and in pain, Ester started the long journey to the hospital.

“But during the trip, the pain got worse and eventually the baby was born in the back of the taxi.

“Nobody in the taxi offered me any help. I was left alone to give birth.”

They were still a long way from the hospital when Ester started crying and screaming in pain.

“When the taxi stopped the passengers got out, leaving Ester alone in the back.

Desperate Ester then asked a bystander to phone a man she knew who had a car and, for a fee of R300, Ester was taken to hospital.

When she arrived there with her baby in her arms, the nurses told her what she knew already. Her baby had died.

“I am very angry with the nurses at the clinic. They don’t care about people.

“Many babies are still going to die if government doesn’t take action.”

Ester said she wants the nurses to be charged with negligence. She said she can’t understand why she was turned away when she was in so much pain.

Limpopo Health Department spokesman, Thapelo Tefo, said the department is aware of the allegations.

“We can’t conclude that negligence is the cause of death until we have finalised our investigation.

“ We are taking this matter seriously and investigating.

“The department is disappointed to receive such complaints,” he said.

The baby was buried on Friday at Shibangwa Cemetery.