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Loveness Bepete Chronicle Reporter
THE woman who allegedly gave birth to twin babies at Mpilo Central Hospital and lost one of them when he was incinerated allegedly by the hospital authorities, is hallucinating and suffering from a mental illness according to the referral hospital authorities.

Mpilo Central Hospital officials yesterday dismissed allegations that Nomsa Mukurazita, 18, gave birth to pre-term twin babies.

The hospital’s paediatric consultant, Dr Wedu Ndebele, said Mukurazita gave birth to one baby only.

He said the hospital suspected the woman was suffering from puerperal psychosis which is a mental illness that occurs following childbirth.

“We’ve done our investigations and there’s no evidence of Mukurazita having given birth to a set of twins. She did her medical check-up thrice and none of them revealed that she was carrying twins,” Dr Ndebele said.

He said when questioned about the issue, Mukurazita insisted that she gave birth to twins.

Dr Ndebele said Mukurazita was probably hallucinating when she narrated her “ordeal” to The Chronicle.

Mukurazita said she gave birth to twins, a boy and girl, on February 12. She claims two days later, hospital staff informed her that the baby boy had died.

Mukurazita alleged she first gave birth to a baby girl and an elderly midwife with some greyish hair helped her deliver her second child, a boy.

“Her description doesn’t match any of the hospital’s midwives. She was probably hallucinating. We’re going to evaluate if she isn’t suffering from puerperal psychosis,” said Dr Ndebele.

He said Mukurazita had actually given birth on February 5 and not February 12 as she alleged.

Dr Ndebele said Mukurazita failed to identify the hospital staff member who assisted her deliver the “twins”.

He said she also failed to identify the other patients who also lost their babies at the same time with her.

“It’s taboo for hospital staff to break news that a patient has lost a baby in front of everyone else. It’s done privately and the patient will be asked to call her relatives while in the company of the hospital staff,” he said.

Dr Ndebele said the hospital does not cremate babies as it does not have the facilities.

However, the hospital does carry out incinerations.

The hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Lawrence Mantiziba, attacked the media for always portraying Mpilo Central Hospital in the negative.

He said the “negative coverage” was meant to destroy him.

“All this reporting is meant to burn Mpilo, said Mantiziba. The media is always targeting Mantiziba but l’ve worked so hard to get Mpilo to where it is today,” Dr Mantiziba said.