By Anita Dangazele
Lindeka Menu, 31, gave birth at Gqeberha’s Dora Nginza Hospital in 2021 but never got to see or hold her newborn child.
Lindeka, from Noxova village in Ngqeleni, Eastern Cape, was admitted to the hospital in August 2021 while pregnant.
Doctors induced labour because she was ill.
“I never got to see or hold my baby,” Lindeka said.
“I was discharged without the baby and was told the baby died within the first hour. I struggle to believe this because the hospital had told my family the baby was alive and well.”
While Lindeka was in the hospital, her husband, Thandisizwe Menu, received a call from the hospital asking for baby clothes. His sister delivered the clothes, but they never received them back.
A few days after the birth, the hospital confirmed the baby was alive during a call to Lindeka’s mother.
However, when the family tried to fetch the baby from the hospital, they were told it could not be found.
“If the baby had died, why weren’t we told? Why couldn’t we bury the baby ourselves?” asked Andiswa Menu, Lindeka’s sister-in-law.
The family insists they will keep looking for answers until they find out what happened to the baby.
The Eastern Cape health department said: “We send our deepest condolences to the mother and the family. The department can confirm that … after the neonatal death, redress was done with the family.
“After the death of the newborn, understandably, different family members make enquiries about the incident at different times. The department is in contact with primary next of kin to harmonise further communication with the family.”
Pictured above: Lindeka Nosethu Menu wants to know what happened to her baby.
Source: Supplied
