Cape Times

SAHRC to probe babies’ deaths at hospital

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JOHANNESBU­RG: The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will investigat­e whether negligence was a factor in the deaths of four babies at the George Masebe Hospital in Limpopo.

The babies died of treatable diseases amid a serious staff shortage between Thursday and Saturday, said SAHRC spokesman Isaac Mangena, adding that the deaths could have been avoided.

“We believe the alleged shortage of doctors is not something that the provincial health department only became aware of after the deaths of these babies, and as such, pre-emptive measures should have been taken,” he said.

“We are deeply concerned that this tragedy was allowed to happen.”

Mangena said incidents such as this were a violation of the country’s constituti­on.

“Our constituti­on clearly states that everyone has the right to have access to healthcare services, including reproducti­ve health… and the state must take reasonable legislativ­e and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressiv­e realisatio­n of the right to health,” he said.

Beeld newspaper reported that Limpopo Health MEC Norman Mabasa had said the 288-bed hospital should have 38 doctors, but that it had only eight.

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union said only one doctor was on duty when the deaths occurred.

The SABC reported that there was not only a shortage of doctors, but that the hospital’s entire management contingent was on leave at the time of the deaths.

Mabasa has reportedly since called for a commission of inquiry.

“I want to know exactly how and when each child died. As we understand it, two died shortly after they arrived in the casualty unit, and the other two died after being admitted to the wards,” he told Beeld.

The commission was expected to report back to him within a week.

He promised to take action if hospital personnel were found to have been negligent.

The SA Medical Associatio­n (Sama) has since said it will deploy doctors to the hospital’s paediatric ward.

“Our members, both in public and private, have volunteere­d, starting today, (to do) paediatric ward rounds,” said Sama chairwoman Phophi Ramathuba. “We will be taking turns in providing health services until the situation is normalised.”

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