Mohalenyane Phakela
The Minister of Health, Pinkie Manamolela, yesterday visited the Butha-Buthe woman who gave birth to four babies at Seboche Hospital last month.
Mabereng Koloi was blessed with three daughters and one son on 2 June, and the family had to be transferred to Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital (Tšepong) the following day for specialist treatment.
According to some Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital staff, the babies had to be kept in incubators as the boy had shown signs of ill-health and had to be closely monitored.
Dr Manamolela, who was visiting the babies for the second time at Tšepong yesterday and brought them goodies, said these were the first quadruplets she had seen in Lesotho.
“When I first came here last month to witness this miracle, which many of us had witnessed for the first time, the babies were so tiny.
The medical staff here had to put them onto machines to help them breathe,” Dr Manamolela said.
The minister further said she was happy to see the infants had gained weight and looking very energetic.
“They are no longer in incubators and look healthy, together with their mother who is doing a good job taking care of them.”
Dr Manamolela donated some disposable nappies for the babies during yesterday’s visit and promised to further assist the family.
Both parents of the babies are unemployed and had called on well-wishers to assist them in cash or kind, hence the minister’s visit to the hospital.
“Although I would like these miracle babies to grow well, I have noticed that their parents are unemployed and are going to struggle to provide for them. As a ministry, we will support the family with some resources while in my capacity as minister, I am going to try my best to help the father secure employment. I am also happy to hear that the Ministry of Social Development is also assisting the babies,” Dr Manamolela said.
In response, the babies’ mother thanked the two ministries for responding to her cry for help.
“When I became pregnant, I never expected more than one baby. So you can imagine my shock when I learnt that I was carrying four babies. I was lost because I know how difficult it is to raise even one child, what more four when my husband and I are unemployed,” Ms Koloi said.
However, Ms Koloi said despite the challenges, she felt blessed to be a rare mother of four babies.
“I am happy because we are all in good health and would also like to thank Seboche Hospital staff who made it possible for me to deliver safely and also Queen ‘Mamohato Hospital for ensuring the babies survived at a time they were so vulnerable.”
