The National Department of Health has reiterated that it has no record of the birth of 10 babies at any of South Africa’s hospitals.
The department has slammed Independent Media for accusing health officials of covering up the birth.
In a hard-hitting statement, the media house says the decuplets were born at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria a week ago but the children’s whereabouts and their state are unknown.
Independent Media statement on the alleged birth of decuplets:
It also alleges that the Department of Social Development kept the said mother of the children, Gosiame Sithole, in custody against her will. The media house insists the story is not false and that there has been a cover up of “mammoth proportions” on the matter.
The health department, however, says mysteriously, the location of the babies has never been established.
The department says these are very serious allegations against the hospital’s healthcare professionals and it will therefore launch investigations into the matter.
“We have taken these allegations made against government and healthcare professionals very seriously. The results of our preliminary investigation once again confirmed that there were no decuplets in the Steve Biko Academic Hospital, as well that there was no way that Tshwane District Hospital, that is not even capacitated to deliver twins can deliver ten babies. Clinicians at both the Steve Biko Academic Hospital and Tshwane District Hospital have confirmed that there is no record of delivery of the decuplets in any of the public health facilities in Gauteng. It is not clear as to where the delivery had happened,” says National Health in a statement.
The department has invited the media house to assist Sithole in laying a complaint with the Health Ombudsman for her alleged mistreatment. The department further says it is not possible for 10 babies to be born without record from any health facility.
