A two-year-old child has died after reportedly being turned away by staff at the Praktiseer Clinic, in Tubatse, Limpopo due to the unavailability of the child’s medical file.
The event unfolded on March 28, 2025. The incident raised alarms on the accessibility and quality of healthcare in the region.
According to the spokesperson for the Limpopo Department of Health, Neil Shikwambana, the child was suffering from a nosebleed when clinic personnel declined to provide treatment, citing the lack of the necessary medical documentation.
“It is alleged that a two-year-old toddler, who was experiencing a nosebleed, was turned away by clinic staff due to the child’s medical file not being available,” Shikwambana said.
Tragically, the toddler succumbed to their condition before arriving at the nearest clinic located a staggering five kilometres away, he said.
Limpopo Department of Health has launched an immediate investigation to scrutinise the circumstances of the incident that led to the child's avoidable death.
“The Department has expressed deep concern over this alleged incident and is committed to investigating the matter fully to determine the circumstances so that it can determine the next course of action,” explained Shikwambana.
He reassured the public of the department's commitment to ensuring that all citizens, regardless of their circumstances, receive the quality healthcare they deserve.
In a separate but equally distressing incident, Limpopo MEC for Health Dieketseng Mashego has called for an urgent investigation into a male nurse potentially linked to a social media post that sexualised children.
The offensive post circulated widely, drawing outrage for its inappropriate content and comments that many deem unacceptable.
Mashego stated, “It has since been established that one of the dreadful comments on the conversation might have been made by a profile belonging to a male nurse under the employ of the department.”
Mashego condemned the comments made in the social media post, stating that they “perpetuate a culture of child abuse, rape, and gender-based violence—serious issues that our country is grappling with.”
She emphasised the urgency of creating an environment that safeguards children's rights and refrains from trivialising their experiences.
“We want to make it clear that the Limpopo Department of Health maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of sexualisation of children or any comments that normalise or condone violence against women and children,” she added.
Mashego has called for community solidarity to stand against such heinous acts and to report any instances of child abuse or gender-based violence.
IOL News