UPROAR AT RFM AS MUM OF TWINS COVID-19+

The main entrance and exit gate of RFM Hospital where one of the patients who tested positive for COVID-19 was admitted and delievered twins on Tuesday night. (Pics: Sibusiso Zwane)

MANZINI - One of the two people who recently tested positive for COVID-19 got her results just after giving birth to twins at RFM Hospital and there is an uproar at the health facility.

The woman arrived at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital heavily pregnant on Tuesday and she was screened for COVID-19, after which she was referred to the normal labour ward, where she was admitted. 

A source close to the matter alleged that the patient was aware that she was a suspected case of COVID-19 as she was awaiting her test results from the Ministry of Health, but the health workers were never informed.

The source said later on the day, the patient was assisted by health workers to give birth and she was blessed with twins. Thereafter, the source said the woman was taken to the normal maternity ward. “In the morning (yesterday), the patient was informed that she had tested positive for COVID-19 and she would be transferred to the Lubombo Referral Hospital. By that time, a number of health workers had been in contact with her,” the source said.

Paramedics

Indeed, he said personnel from the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), who are widely referred to as paramedics, took her to the Lubombo Referral Hospital.  Furthermore, the source said after the incident, the hospital’s management met with the staff members who were on duty when the patient was admitted before giving birth.

The source said in the meeting, management allegedly said only those who were in direct contact with the patient would be quarantined for monitoring purposes. Meanwhile, RFM Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Benjamin Simelane referred this publication to the Ministry of Health.
Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi said there was laid down procedures to be followed after a person had tested positive for COVID-19.

The minister said contact tracing would be done and those people, who would be found to have had contact with the patient, would be tested. In this case, the minister said the workers; including nurses and the other women who were in the labour ward, would be tested.

She said the process should have started yesterday, but the challenge was that they had to start by transferring the COVID-19 positive patient and her babies to the Lubombo Referral Hospital.
Otherwise, she emphasised that the laid down procedures would be followed.

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