Hospital denies young couple to see their dead babies

A young couple in South Africa has been denied by hospital staff to see the bodies of twins who died after birth.

Fezeka Pheko (23) of Duncan Village, East London, went to Frere Hospital on 31 January for back pain when she was seven months pregnant.

She told the the Daily Sun that she was sent home with painkillers. But on 2 February, she couldn't bear the pain any more.

She went back to the hospital and was later admitted. She gave birth to her twins prematurely the next day.

Fezeka said: "The midwife asked me if I would like to see my babies. They were alive but I was so tired and said I would hold them later."

But later, nurses wouldn't let Fezeka see her twins."I got suspicious and asked the doctor to let me see my babies. But the doctor said I couldn't see them because they were dead. I was shocked because they were alive after the delivery.

"If my babies really died why won't they let me see them?"

Odwa Mazomba (23), the babies' father said: "The nurses were rude and unhelpful. We want to see that our babies are dead."

Eastern Cape Department of Health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo told Daily Sun last week that he checked with both the CEO and clinical manager and they said they were not aware of the matter and promised to investigate.

However, Fezeka met with the officials at Frere Hospital on Monday. She was told that the nurses who delivered her babies were on leave until the end of the month.

The officials told her that only then can they answer her questions.