Johannesburg - A 25-year-old woman is recovering in hospital after giving birth to a baby girl on the side of the road in Randburg after allegedly being turned away from a clinic on Thursday.
Business director Ryan Frey told News24 he was driving from his office at about 09:30 on Thursday when he saw the woman, named Phindile, on the pavement on her knees.
“When I stopped to inspect what was going on, to my shock the woman was in labour,” said Frey.
Phindile, who works in a kitchen in Randburg, claimed that clinic employees told her that they do not deal with births and told her to go to a hospital.
The woman gave birth to a baby girl who was one month premature.
“The little girl was covered in dirt and grass, she was not crying but was breathing and her little fingers were moving,” Frey said.
Frey said he contacted one of his employees who brought a first-aid kit.
Others who had also seen what was happening stopped to help. Some gave the woman blankets while another man drove to a nearby hospital and fetched two nurses to assist.
The nurses cut the umbilical cord and removed the placenta. They then drove the woman to Olivedale clinic. The little girl is said to have slightly low blood sugar levels but doctors expect her to reach full health.
Both mother and child have been transferred to Raheema Moosa Hospital.
A nurse at Windsor clinic told News24 Phindile must have been lying about being turned away because “chasing patients away is against the rules”.
However, another nurse said they don’t take patients because they don’t have the facilities for it and tell women about to give birth that they must go to the hospital instead. According to the City of Johannesburg website, the clinic specialises in reproductive and child health.
Clinic officials told News24 on Thursday they would get clarity on what
exactly happened but no information has yet been received.
Frey is looking after the woman and child’s medical expenses and said he would also like to gather some items for the baby.
If News24 users would like to make donations for Phindile and her baby, named Chantal, they can contact Frey’s business, TT3 Repairs at 011 792 5293.