Durban — The mother of newborn quadruplets has sung the praises of the staff and management at RK Khan Hospital in Chatsworth.
Thirty-year-old Nonhlanhla Khumalo praised the staff and management after the delivery of a set of healthy quadruplets.
On Friday, KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane visited Khumalo and showered her with gift hampers for her babies.
Khumalo, who is a twin, said she was expecting triplets, but was pleasantly surprised when the doctors told her during delivery that there was a fourth baby coming.
Khumalo who lives in Jozini, northern KZN, has two other children aged 11 and six.
Speaking on the department’s weekly KZN Health Chat programme, shy and soft-spoken Khumalo said: “I’m very happy. At home, they’re also happy. They can’t believe it.
“God has given me an unexpected gift. I was expecting three babies, but He has given me four.
“I have received the best treatment. Everything went very well, and I would like to especially thank the medical staff who have helped me deliver.”
The quadruplets, named Lulonke, Lunathi, Lukhona and Mailula, were born prematurely, at 29 weeks, on July 9. Khumalo, who has been staying in Durban over the past few months, arrived at RK Khan Hospital two days earlier. Having complained of lower abdominal pain, she was admitted to the high-care ward for pre-term labour.
Lulonke was born weighing 1.05kg and now weighs 1.335kg; Lunathi initially weighed 1.2kg and now weighs 1.410kg; Lukhona weighed 1.25kg and now weighs 1.350kg; while Mailula – named after Mamelodi Sundowns striker Cassius Mailula by his father Mzwandile Mpontshane, initially weighed 1.250kg and now weighs 1.580kg.
The babies will be discharged once they all reach the ideal weight of 1.6kg each. Khumalo is being assisted by her sister-in-law, Lungile Mpontshane, to look after them.
Medical officer from the hospital’s department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dr Ilunga Nsungu, said: “She was given treatment which was aimed at stopping labour to progress and maturing babies’ lungs as they were known to be premature. She went into true labour two days later, and the decision was made to take her to theatre for an emergency caesarean section.”
She said the babies were making good progress.
When asked about the potential perils of delivering quadruplets, and what was done to avert them, Nsungu said: “There are maternal risks related to anaesthesia such as hypotension (low blood pressure) intraoperatively (during the course of a surgical operation).”
Other maternal risks include injuries to other organs during the Caesarean section, such as injury to the bowels, the bladder, and over-bleeding, she said.
“With regard to the babies, there is always a risk of infection. So, we had to ensure that the mother is haemodynamically stable, meaning her vital signs (BP, pulse, respiration, oxygen saturation) are within normal range as well as her blood profiles, among other considerations,” Nsungu said.
Simelane congratulated hospital staff and management. She said the successful delivery of the quadruplets showed that the department had many dedicated health-care workers who did their best, daily, to deliver the best healthcare to the community.
“We congratulate the Khumalo and Mpontshane families for these babies that were delivered safely, especially considering the risks involved in a delivery of this nature – particularly for a hospital of this size,” she said.
“This delivery carries a number of challenges and risks, but the staff were able to navigate that process very well. The babies have been here for about a month, and we are very happy with their progress.
“I also want to appreciate the work that was done by the medical staff who were delivering the babies, and those who are looking after them. It is very clear that a lot of work has been done. Considering that these are the kind of patients that they have not dealt with before, they have done exceptionally well. So, we wanted to express our appreciation to them,” Simelane said.
Nsungu also urged all expectant mothers to know that antenatal care is extremely important as it helps to ensure the best possible pregnancy outcome for mothers and their babies.
“Getting screened for pregnancy problems, assessing risks in pregnancy, treating any problems that may arise during the ante-natal care period, providing information to pregnant women, can make all the difference in creating conditions for a safe pregnancy and successful delivery,” Nsungu said.
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