50 babies born in Province

A NEW year and new life were welcomed to the Northern Cape on Monday as the first few hours of 2018 saw dozens of ‘New Year’s babies’ delivered in hospitals in the Province.

According to spokesperson for the Northern Cape Department of Health, Lebogang Majaha, staff in delivery rooms in provincial hospitals had their hands full earlier this week with no fewer than 50 children drawing their first breath on January 1.

The first of these arrived only minutes into 2018 but soon had company with the department recording the birth of 33 boys and 17 girls.

“The department has recorded a total of 50 newborn babies delivered on January 1, 2018,” he confirmed yesterday. “The first to make its way was a baby boy, weighing 3.52kg, delivered in the Dr Harry Surtie Hospital, in Upington, only two minutes into 2018.”

Staff in maternity wards at private hospitals were also kept busy by families welcoming additional members.

Born shortly after 9am on Monday morning, Warren Pietersen was the first of five babies delivered at the Gariep Mediclinic on New Year’s Day.

Little more than a day-old, yesterday morning, he was getting to know his older brother, Santiago, 5, and sister, Faith, 2, while his mother, Ernani, recovered in hospital.

“This is the best possible way to start 2018 and we are thrilled to welcome our third child,” said father, Winston, at his wife’s bedside. “We travelled to Kimberley from Postmasburg for the birth and can’t wait to return home with the baby.”

“Everyone is doing really well and this is a very happy time for us.”

Having opened in 2017, Lenmed Royal Hospital and Heart Centre delivered their first ever “New Year’s babies”, welcoming two girls and a boy into the world on the first day of 2018.

The first on these was Milah Harbron.