378 babies abandoned at GP hospitals in three years
JOBURG - Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu confirmed that 378 babies were abandoned at the province’s hospitals in the past three years.
In 2013, 147 babies were abandoned, last year the figure was 124, and in the period from January to September this year, the figure stands at 107.
The department said some of the reasons for child abandonment were unwanted pregnancies, lack of family support, financial constraints due to unemployment and children deserted by fathers.
Mahlangu pleaded with members of the community to utilise contraceptives to avoid unwanted pregnancies and to undergo family planning.
“The department spends around R2 000 per day for the upkeep of each child,” she said.
“This is the amount the department generally spends on child patients. Hospital social workers work with various organisations, including the department of social development, in order to place these children in homes and adoption agencies.”
To address the problem, Mahlangu said hospitals should ensure that parents were properly identified and contact details were confirmed at the time of the child’s birth.
“We conduct ongoing educational talks on contraceptives and choice of termination in our communities. We refer expecting mothers to social workers to discuss alternative options in case they do not want to keep the baby,” she concluded.
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