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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief

THE joy that the Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services (ZPCS) officer, Patience Muchineripi (30), and her family have, has no bounds after she gave birth to quadruplets in about 50 minutes last week.

The babies, three boys and one girl, were delivered by a scheduled cesarean section.

Prison Officer Muchineripi welcomed a set of healthy quadruplets at Claybank Private Hospital in Gweru on Wednesday morning under the watchful eye of her specialist gynaecologist, Dr Johannes Mukwembi.

At around 10.35AM, the cesarean operation was done after which the first baby was welcomed into the world.

In about 50 minutes, the other babies were also delivered bringing joy to PO Muchineripi, her family and friends as well as members of staff at the hospital.

PO Muchineripi and her bundles of joy were then monitored by a pediatrician as well as Dr Mukwembi from the day of delivery to yesterday when they were finally discharged.

There was joy and happiness at the hospital when the mother and her babies were seen off to their waiting vehicle by hospital medical staff, relatives, fellow workmates, friends and her husband, Anesu Mukototsi (36) who is also a member of the ZPCS.

PO Mukototsi took his wife and the babies home in Kwekwe. The quadruplets join their big sister who is 10.

For most couples, the birth of a baby means joy and twins mean more joy and so having quadruplets means boundless joy.

“I am filled with boundless joy and happiness but I am tired now. Talk to my husband,” said the media shy Muchineripi.

PO Mukototsi could only say theirs was an extraordinary moment that turned out so well.

“We could not have asked for a better outcome. We are so thankful to all the doctors and nurses. We’ve had excellent care through every step of this process,” said PO Mukototsi.

He said the children were a blessing from God as they were some form of compensation since he has no siblings to talk of since he was lone child before his parents passed on.

“I was the only child from my family and as fate would have it, both my parents are late. If they had lived up to this day, they would be celebrating having five grandchildren,” said PO Mukototsi.

He said the major challenge he now faces is to do with accommodation.

“These babies need special attention and we don’t have accommodation that is enough for them. I think we will also need supplementary milk and diapers to make their life comfortable,” said PO Mukototsi.

 

Dr Mukwembi said the caesarian delivery was not that difficult but said preparations for more than a single baby are a bit complex.

“The preparation is more complex than the surgery itself. We had to work on the hospital preparedness and pediatrician to see the babies post caesarean surgery itself,” he said.

Dr Mukwembi said he had to ensure they had the right equipment and bedding.

“We had to make sure there is a special ward for the mother and the babies,” he said.

Dr Mukwembi said it was very rare to give birth to quadruplets adding that for him, it was his first time to deliver four babies.

“I have, however, done a few triplets deliveries in my career,” he said.

Dr Mukwembi said the quadruplets were delivered at about eight months so as not to put their lives and that of their mother in danger.

“I monitored them from Wednesday until Sunday when I discharged them,” he said.

 

PO Muchineripi’s mother Gogo Madiwa, putting two of the babies on her lap said the birth of her grandchildren were evidence of the existence of God.

“I have been blessed, my daughter was given these blessings and I have seen that God is there for real and today I will pray more,” she said.