Westbury family wants answers after death of mother and unborn baby
The distraught family has accused the Westbury Clinic of refusing to give them answers in relation to the deaths.
Picture: Refilwe Thobega/EWN
JOHANNESBURG - A family in Westbury, in Johannesburg, is accusing a local clinic of malpractice after a mother and her unborn child died under unknown circumstances.
Thirty-two-year-old Miriam Singh went to the hospital on Sunday to give birth, but within 20 minutes of her admission, she died, along with her baby.
The distraught family has accused the Westbury Clinic of refusing to give them answers about the deaths. They stormed the premises earlier on Monday, demanding answers from management. A standoff took place, with the family raising endless questions to the nurses, who hid from the angry group.
The health practitioners said they felt intimidated and called for security backup.
Just a day ago, 33-year-old Chris Goliath was looking forward to being a father when he accompanied his girlfriend to the clinic for the baby’s delivery.
He said she was in a healthy condition, and they both walked to the clinic just a couple of meters from their house.
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Goliath said he was asked to stand outside the labour ward.
He said he was hoping to have a son but has now been robbed of his family.
"They didn’t allow me in, so I went to the window and spoke to her. We made jokes and we laughed. She even told me to buy something to eat because she was hungry, and then when I left to go buy. I didn’t even take 20 minutes. I came back, the nurse told me she had passed on. No explanation; they couldn't tell me anything," said Goliath.
'WE JUST NEED CLOSURE'
The family said they would not rest until they received answers about the circumstances that led to their loved ones’ passing.
Singh’s brother Enver Solomon requested to see what was written on his sister's medical file, but his request was denied.
"We, as a family, just need closure on what happened on that day of Miriam's death. We need answers from the Westbury Clinic, we need answers from the police. We need a docket. We need to see what happened; we need closure," said Solomon.
The Gauteng Department of Health told EWN that the matter had been "handed over to quality assurance to investigate further, establish facts, and recommend if any further steps need to be taken."
The clinic confirmed to the family that investigations on the cause of death were ongoing.