Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital is buzzing with excitement after the maternity unit helped two mothers to deliver two sets of triplets in a space of six days.
Gauteng Health and Social Development MEC, Ntombi Mekgwe congratulated the hospital for successfully delivering the two sets of triplets.
“I am proud of the health workers at the hospital for closely monitoring the two high risk pregnancies and helping the mothers deliver healthy babies,”
“The success of these deliveries and the dedication of staff bring us closer to achieving the department’s goal of reducing maternal and neonatal deaths,” said MEC Mekgwe.
Matshidiso Meletsa (20 years old) gave birth to the first set on the 10 February 2011 just after midnight. Coming from a family of twins herself, Meletsa was not surprised by the experience.
Meletsa gave birth to Bohlokwa meaning important, Bophelo meaning life, and Bohlale meaning intelligent.
Amidst all the excitement and laughter, Meletsa is uncertain about how she will bring up the children. She is unemployed and did not get any financial support from her boyfriend during her pregnancy. With no solid educational background to fall back on Meletsa stands a very small chance of getting a well paying job to support herself and children. She will be forced to rely on child support grant to raise her infants.
Thandi Nxumalo (27 years old), who is a twin herself, also gave birth to triplets on the 16 February 2011. Nxumalo shares a backyard room with the unemployed father of three boys in Dobsonville, Soweto.
She named her offsprings Siyanda, Bayanda and Asanda. Thandi has two other children aged 9 and 6 years old and they all survive on their grandmother’s pension grant as their parents are unemployed.
Both mothers started attending ante-natal care at local clinics when they were in advanced stages of pregnancy. They were diagnosed and referred to the hospital. They were subsequently monitored as high risk pregnancies by the medical and nursing personnel at the CHBH Ante Natal clinic. High risk pregnancies are monitored much more regularly and therefore are required to frequently visit the hospital for outpatient consultations.
Both mothers and their babies are doing well. When asked about their experience at the institution, they both were singing praises about the care, staff attitudes and the overall condition of the hospital.
Enquiries:
Simon Zwane
Cell: 082 551 9892
Nkosiyethu Mazibuko
Cell: 072 785 4813
