Picture: The babies placed in card boxes at Mahikeng Provincial Hospital/Facebook
By OBAKENG MAJE
The Economic Freedom Fighters(EFF) in North West described the situation at the Mahikeng Provincial Hospital, where newborn babies were placed in card boxes, instead of incubators as inhumane. This comes after a widespread video circulated on various social media platforms, where newborn babies were placed in card boxes.
The EFF provincial spokesperson, Fanon Moema said, they strongly condemn the stripping of dignity of black children by the incapacitated and corrupt ANC-led government. Moema, who described the ANC-led government as careless and useless said, it is evidently hell-bent on violating fundamental human rights to access quality healthcare.
“It is a cause for concern that people living with disabilities, elderly persons, women, youth and newly-born babies are on the verge of being murdered on their sick beds as a result of gross negligence and lack of political will to procure resources needed for effective and efficient running of the hospital.
“The current situation at Bophelong Provincial Hospital is prima face evidence that, the pseudo communist MEC for Health, Madoda Sambatha, lacks the appetite to provide adequate and quality access to healthcare. What is more amiss in the recent budget speech, he illustrated his obsession with slogans and made no attempts to come up with cogent measures to alleviate the state of public health in the province,” he said.
He further said, the EFF will promptly lodge a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in light of the above-mentioned unconstitutional and dehumanising act of misconduct. Moema added that, equally, they call for appropriate action to be taped against the hospital management
for endangering the lives of vulnerable and helpless newborn babies.
“Lastly, the EFF reminds the downtrodden communities of North West, whose plight has been ignored by the ANC to throw their weight behind the EFF as the only solution towards the betterment of their living conditions,” said Moema.
Meanwhile, the North West MEC for Health, Madoda Sambatha said two officials at the hospital will be placed on precautionary suspension pending investigation. Sambatha said, the investigations will be concluded before Tuesday next week.
“I received the photo late last night and immediately request management to investigate. Indeed, the preliminary investigation, confirmed that the photo is from MPH. The incident occurred on Saturday around 11am. on the said day, 56 babies were delivered in the ward, with 16 incubators and 31 cribs available.
“That means, 47 babies had been placed in accordance with proper prescribed procedures and 9 babies had no proper incubator or crib. It’s reported that, four babies were placed in card boxes and others put as two in each crib. The report for the whole incident ended with the Nursing Manager, who didn’t report the incident to the acting CEO,” he said.
Sambatha said, after he saw pictures being circulated, he immediately instructed the hospital management to find extra incubators and cribs for MPH within the available ones in the province. He said 18 additional incubators and cribs have been received and are already at the hospital.
“The hospital management and the CEO were only informed yesterday about this incident on Saturday. Based on all this information above, the investigation was conducted and is set to be concluded no later than Tuesday next week. On the day, the nurse in charge of that unit will be placed on precautionary suspension.
“The Nursing Manager will also be precautionary suspended. I also constituted a task team with members who understand nursing practice to investigate the whole nursing division at the hospital and the whole operation accounting to the Nursing Manager,” said Sambatha.
He said the department issued a public apology to the 9 babies and more to the four
placed in card boxes and whose photos were circulated in public. Sambatha said the hospital management activated a redress process with the affected families.
“Relevant labour relations processes will determine the process of what will happen from precautionary suspension. All other processes will be supervised by me,” he said.
The Guardian 