A young woman was forced to give birth at the Siloam taxi rank in Nzhelele in Limpopo’s Vhembe district, just a few metres from the Siloam Hospital, after her calls for an ambulance went unanswered in the early hours of Monday morning.

Rudzani Thavhana (20) from Matshavhawe in the Witvlag area near Louis Trichardt, who had been experiencing pain and cramps throughout her pregnancy, went into labour in the middle of the street after being unable to get medical help in time.

“I called an ambulance at around 2am because I was in serious pain, but I was told that there was no ambulance available. I had no choice but to take the 4am bus to Siloam,” Thavhana recalls.

She walked from her home to the bus stop in the early hours of the morning. However, just as she arrived at the taxi rank where the bus dropped her off, her condition worsened. 

“Some people ran away when I was screaming in pain. I felt hopeless,” she says.

Luckily, a local street vendor Lucy “My Darly” Luvhimbi (49) based at the taxi rank, rushed to her aid.

“When I got there, I saw that the lady’s water had broken. I immediately grabbed a cloth and placed it under her legs to make sure the baby did not touch the ground,” Luvhimbi says.

Her heroic efforts ensured that Thavhana delivered a healthy baby girl, whom she later named Watshilidzi, meaning “the one with grace.”

Thavhana and her baby were eventually taken to Siloam Hospital, where she was discharged on Tuesday afternoon.

Medical care not denied

The incident has sparked outrage over the availability of emergency services in the province. Many have questioned how a woman in labour could struggle to get an ambulance and end up giving birth within walking distance of a hospital.

In response, the Limpopo Department of Health issued a statement, insisting that Thavhana had not been turned away from the hospital.

According to department spokesperson Neil Shikwambana, Thavhana had visited Siloam Hospital on Sunday, 2 February, where doctors examined her and determined she was not in active labour. She was discharged with a follow-up appointment scheduled for 10 February.

“There was no denial of medical care during her visit to Siloam Hospital. The decision to discharge her was based on her condition at that time, which did not indicate immediate labour. Unfortunately, labour started unexpectedly at the taxi rank, and EMS was only called after the birth had already taken place,” Shikwambana says.

However, the department did not respond to Thavhana’s version of events that she first called for help at 2am on Monday.

While the mother and baby are both safe, this incident has raised serious concerns about emergency response times and healthcare accessibility in Limpopo – Health-e News