HOSPITAL HORROR - New mom on her maternity nightmare at Tygerberg

A recent stay in the maternity ward at Tygerberg Hospital has left new mother Leechae Abrahams deeply concerned about patient care and cleanliness at the facility.

Abrahams had been attending Tygerberg Hospital throughout her pregnancy, starting in June 2025, and gave birth in November 2025.

She returned to the hospital recently for an overnight stay with her baby and said the conditions she encountered were no different from what she had experienced during her pregnancy.

She explained that her experiences both during her pregnancy and leading up to the birth were unpleasant and frightening, as she constantly feared that either she or her baby could become ill or die due to the conditions in the ward.

Abrahams described the ward she stayed in as "filthy and disgusting", adding that even after being moved to a different ward, the situation did not improve.

"I didn’t even want to use the toilet most of the time because of how bad it smelled and how dirty it was. There were multiple occasions when there was no toilet paper. One of the showers was out of order, so everyone had to use a single shower. Blood on the floor was not cleaned for three whole days," she said.

What shocked her most, she added, was witnessing other patients in severe pain who were unable to get help due to staff shortages.

Abrahams said she was scheduled for a Caesarean section on the 12th, but ended up waiting in pain for an entire day.

"I was number five on the list for the morning. There were many of us waiting in the room for C-sections, and some had already been waiting for several days. Everything took very long. Eventually, we were told our procedures had to be moved to the next day because there wasn’t enough time and not enough staff."

She said panic set in as she was forced to wait until the early hours of the following morning before being taken into theatre.

When she raised concerns about the cleanliness of the ward with nursing staff, she was told that the hospital did not have enough funds to employ more cleaners and that nurses did not have the time to clean themselves.

In response, Tygerberg Hospital Communications Officer Laticia Pienaar acknowledged that cleaning demands may exceed capacity during exceptionally busy periods.

However, she stated that the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness (WCDHW) had not received any formal complaints regarding cleanliness or meal standards in the Tygerberg Hospital maternity ward prior to Abrahams’ social media post.

Pienaar explained that the labour ward had experienced exceptional pressure in recent weeks, operating at full capacity after assisting neighbouring hospitals.

"This increased patient load placed additional strain on infrastructure and support services, including cleaning services," she said.

She also addressed concerns about a shower facility shown in images shared online, explaining that it had been cordoned off after a showerhead was stolen.

Pienaar added that the (WCDHW) acknowledges the concerns raised, and "understands the distress such images may cause, and continues to monitor the situation closely while supporting staff working under significant pressure".