Women in Health: Sr Wattie – the midwife from District Six who heeded the call to nurse and deliver

For decades, most stories from Cape Town’s District Six started with – “I was born at Peninsula Maternity Hospital!” The Peninsula Maternity Hospital was established in 1921 as a training hospital specialising in midwifery. It closed down in 1992. On the day of its closure, a group of nurses climbed up to the hospital’s roof to take a last look at Table Mountain and the surrounds where they served so many. Among them was sister Patience Watlington, or Sr Wattie, as many referred to her. Biénne Huisman sat down with the 80-year-old nursing veteran as she reflected on life as a midwife in District Six.

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Women in Health: Being a midwife is a calling, says founder of Black Women Arise

Being a midwife is not a career for her, says Sebabatso Tsosane – it’s a calling. Refilwe Mochoari spoke to Tsosane – a midwife, lecturer, and founder of the Free State-based organisation Black Women Arise – about her passion to empower women with knowledge about their sexual and reproductive health as part of Spotlight’s Women in Health series.

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COVID-19: The pandemic’s far-reaching impact on pregnancy

Research released on Wednesday shows a significant drop in antenatal and follow-up visits to health facilities during South Africa’s COVID-19 lockdown. To help understand these statistics, Tiyese Jeranji spoke to some health workers and new and expecting mothers about being pregnant in a pandemic.

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