A street vendor who regularly sells fat cakes at the entrance of a community clinic in Burgersfort in Sekhukhune, Limpopo assisted a woman to give birth at the gate. The incident happened on Tuesday morning. Gladys Mokgotho executed midwifery skills with great aplomb after a nurse and a security guard denied a young woman in labour entry into the clinic, insisting that the mom-to-be should wait for the clinic to open.

NURSE TELLS WOMEN TO STOP MAKING NOISE

In a video that has gone viral on social media, some members of the community can be heard arguing with the nurse that she should help the woman as it was an emergency. The video shows several women with blankets and throws surrounding and concealing the woman and the child to protect them from onlookers. The nurse, resplendent in her medical paraphernalia, could be heard telling a group of women to stop making noise as the clinic only  only opens at 07:00.

CLINIC OPENS AT 7AM AND SHE ARRIVED AT 06H50AM

When the group told her that it was an emergency and asked her to assist, the nurse replied and insisted that no woman has contractions and gives birth immediately. The mother of the woman who gave birth at the gate said she and her pregnant daughter arrived at the clinic at around 06:50 and requested to enter the clinic precinct. However, the nurse and the security guard told them that they cannot open for them until the start of working hours ?" 07:00 to 16:00.

NURSE LESS EMPATHETIC

The mother, who wished to remain anonymous, decried the conduct of the nurse as "less empathetic'. She said "I brought my daughter to the clinic with the hope that she will get help without any difficulty. However, I was disappointed by the behaviour of someone who is supposed to be a professional health worker. She showed no empathy and did not care about the wellbeing of my daughter and her unborn baby. The department owes us more than on apology for this kind of conduct.'Mokgotho, the heroine of the day who took the delicate assignment by the scruff of her neck was lauded for her heroic deed.She said "The situation was so tense no one could stand and watch the young woman enduring such agony. It seemed the right thing to do, even though no one among us was trained, was to perform such a mission.'  

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH DENIES THIS

Neil Shikwambana, the provincial spokesperson for The Department of Health denied the nurse's refusal to help the pregnant woman. He said that when the nurse went outside; the woman has already given birth."The clinic had been closed for almost two years and was not open 24 hours due to criminal elements, so when she came to the clinic, security called the nurse who had just arrived to get ready for the day. Therefore, when the nurse came out, they found that the woman had already given birth. The nurse actually helped the woman get to the hospital for all the rituals that needed to be done and also to transfer her to the nearest hospital,' says Shikwambana. The baby is said to be in good health.