The arrival last week of four new babies for the Chauke family of Masisi, in the northern part of Vhembe, came as a complete surprise. They were expecting twins, but four baby girls were delivered in the rural clinic. The family now have 12 children, five boys and seven girls.
The 38-year-old Vulani Chauke decided to walk to the clinic at Masisi last Tuesday (18th) for a check-up. Her delivery date was believed to be in November, but she felt she needed to visit the clinic.
On her way to the clinic, Vulani met a midwife working at the clinic, Tshililo Mphaphuli. She was on her way home after closing the clinic at the end of the day. Although the clinic at Masisi does not operate 24 hours and the staff members were officially off duty, Mphaphuli and some of the other nurses immediately took charge of the situation. They realised that the mother-to-be needed urgent assistance.
One of the problems that nurse Mphaphuli and her helpers had to face was that the patient was a foreign national and no history of the pregnancy that they could check was available. They realised that they would have to deliver the baby or babies without knowing whether the mother had a history of complications.
Nurse Mphaphuli was later applauded for her bravery by the MEC for Health, Dr Phophi Ramathuba. "Naturally delivering of quadruplets is a risky and a delicate process that is not done at clinics but at hospital, under the supervision of doctors. But this brave midwife, together with her staff, rose to the occasion. The mother and her bundles of joy were thereafter transferred to Donald Fraser Hospital," she said.
Vulani's husband, Mr Liberty Chauke, was still very excited when Limpopo Mirror contacted him earlier this week. "Glory to God for such a blessing. We were expecting twin babies, but, surprisingly, Vulani delivered quadruplets," he said.
"I call my wife every day, checking on how my children are growing. I am told they are very well. The first of the four girls is named Chishamiso, which mean miracle," said Liberty.
Mr Neil Shikwambana, spokesperson for the Limpopo Department of Health, confirmed that the mother and her babies had been admitted to Donald Fraser hospital and that they were doing well. He said that the fourth girl was receiving specialised treatment, because of her low weight and mild respiratory distress in her nasal canals. He said that, at birth, the first-born had weighed a mere 2080 grams, the second and third 1 800 grams and the fourth only 1 200 grams.
"Looking at the complexity of the process they underwent in order to deliver these children, we are really proud of their dedication. The fact that the nurses had knocked off but had to go back to be on duty just to assist this one pregnant woman also needs to be commended. Contrary to the popularised narration, our nurses aren't all heartless," said MEC Ramathuba.
She urged pregnant women to prioritise their antenatal consultations to reduce any surprise risks during childbirth.
Liberty is not permanently employed and lives from piece jobs. Asked how he would take care of the newly born quadruplets, Liberty said, "I believe in God. [Taking into account] the wonders He (God) performed by giving us four children, I am sure [there] will be the same wonders on how to take care of the quadruplets," he said.