Mom told baby was dead, then alive, then truly dead

Nolisindiso Chani should have been grappling with the joyful challenges of first-time motherhood this week.

Instead, on Wednesday she buried her newborn baby, wondering if her story would have been different had she and the infant received better care at the Port Alfred Hospital.

On Thursday night last week, just hours after she had given birth, nurses told Chani her infant son, whom she had named Luphawu Ahlumile Chani, had died.

She was devastated, but accepted it because she had had a difficult delivery.

The next morning her heartache turned to elation when nurses told her Luphawu was actually alive. But her joy was short-lived. Hours later staff told her that her son had died - and this time it was the truth.

"I couldn't believe it. I was shocked and confused as to how this could have happened," Chani said this week. "What pains me more is the fact that my baby might have survived if they had not assumed that he was dead in the first place.

"They should have given him proper healthcare when they saw something was wrong, instead of declaring him dead when he was not. This thing is painful and it has devastated me as he was my first child."

Chani said she had been admitted to the Port Alfred Hospital on Sunday two weeks ago to give birth. However, there were complications and the birth was induced.

"When I eventually gave birth on Thursday I was very weak and tired. They told me the baby was also tired and they took him away," Chani said.

After a few hours the nurses told her that the baby had died, she said.

"They asked me if I wanted to see him, but I refused because I was shocked and hurt. I was just lost and confused."

The following morning she was told that Luphawu was actually alive.

"This excited me. They told me he is going to have defects, but I did not care because he was my baby. I just wanted him regardless of any defects," she said.

Her sister, Philiswa Mapapu, who was at Chani's side during the ordeal, accused the hospital staff of negligence.

"On Thursday evening she gave birth, but at night ... the hospital said there was a problem with the baby. They told me he could not breathe.

"After a few minutes they told us that he was dead. We could see that he was still breathing, but they told us he was drawing his last breath.

"They told us that they were going to take him to a mortuary. We went home crying and in disbelief," Mapapu said.

"Then they called us saying he is alive. Just a few hours after that we again were told that he is dead. This is complete negligence."

Eastern Cape health department superintendent-general Thobile Mbengashe said the department had launched an investigation.

"The preliminary findings are very disturbing regarding the care that was provided to the patient. I will institute a full quality-assurance investigation to determine [if it was] a case of negligence and malpractice.

"We have expressed a sincere apology and condolences to the family," Mbengashe said.