The Gauteng Health Department has dismissed four nurses following a complaint of unprofessional conduct after a highly expecting mother was forced to deliver a baby on the pavement.
On 16 November 2012 a woman was turned away from the Soshanguve Community Health Centre (in Tshwane District) and subsequently delivered an alive male infant on the pavement outside the clinic.
The matter was reported to the department and also widely covered by the media. An investigation was initiated and concluded on 22 November 2012. The implicated nurses were charged and the case concluded, with a sanction to dismiss them from public service, in April 2013.
"Maternal and infant mortality and morbidity is one of the four quadruple burden of diseases that our country faces," said Gauteng Health MEC Hope Papo. "Forty (40%) percent of all maternal deaths are avoidable. Much pain and suffering is caused when mothers die in childbirth. It is a shame and unacceptable that women are forced to think twice about pregnancy simply because there is a high - but preventable - risk of losing the baby and/or their lives."
According to the South African Nursing Council's (SANC) statistical report regarding details of persons against whom disciplinary action was taken in terms of the nursing act (1 June 2012), unprofessional conduct relating to maternity tops the list (51%).
The fifth Report on the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa (2008 -2010) reports that 'at patient/community level there were 33.6% of assessable cases with avoidable factors, and at administrative level there were 55.3%. For health worker related care there were avoidable factors in 52.2% of assessable cases at level one facilities, 51.5% at level two and 25.7% at level three.'
Following the launch of the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA) in the country a year ago (2 May 2012); government, together with all stakeholders, committed to 'an accelerated implementation of evidence-based interventions essential to improve maternal health and child survival'.
"We are establishing a standard compliance office to ensure that the department, as a whole, walks the talk. It cannot be that on one hand we promise quality healthcare and on the other chase pregnant women away from our clinics," continued Papo.
The department will act swiftly against those who are giving the department a bad name, deprive citizens of their constitutionally guaranteed right and threaten the lives of expecting mothers and their babies, he concluded.
The four nurses lodged an appeal against the sanction and this is yet to be finalised. The SANC has also instituted disciplinary proceeding that may lead to the four nurses being prevented from ever practising as nurses in the country.
