Tembisa10: Health department joins Gauteng govt in legal action against media group claims
The National Department of Health has expressed its shock over explosive claims about the alleged disappearance of the 10 babies, now dubbed the ‘Tembisa 10’.
Independent Media released a report on Wednesday alleging that some health care workers and national officials were involved in the disappearance of the babies.
According to the report, two of the babies died soon after birth in June, while the remaining eight were moved to the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria.
Independent Media chairperson Dr Iqbal Survé, who presented the report, claims that the mother last saw her children two days after birth and after that, the babies disappeared.
Health department spokesperson Foster Mohale says the department will join the Gauteng government in seeking legal action against the allegations that doctors, nurses and national officials have been involved in what is alleged to be human trafficking.
“We join the Gauteng Provincial Government in challenging anyone that believes that they have any shred of evidence pointing to unethical practice by any of our healthcare workers to lodge a formal complaint with the relevant public institutions such as the Office of Health Ombud, Public Protector, or to open a criminal case with the law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution.
We have nothing, but praise for our frontline workers who work tirelessly, often in dangerous circumstances, to care for the people of this country,” says Mohale.
The Netcare Hospital group, which has also been named in the report, has since distanced itself from the claims.
The hospital group says no patient with a multiple pregnancy of eight or more foetuses has ever consulted a gynaecologist/obstetrician or been admitted to any of its facilities including the Netcare Sunninghill Hospital.
Meanwhile, Independent Media vowed to implicate more high-profile officials in a Netflix style 10 parts docuseries.
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