MBOMBELA – The stork had a very busy festive season in the province. A total of 103 babies were born on Christmas Day – 40 girls and 63 boys.
This number includes babies born in provincial, regional and subregional health facilities around the province.
During his official visit at Rob Ferreira Hospital on December 25, MEC for health, Mr Gillion Mashego, greeted and congratulated the new parents. He also showered the babies and their parents with presents.
Mashego further said Mpumalanga welcomed the newborns with love and care. “These babies will one day contribute to the economic growth of the province and the country as a whole,” said Mashego.
He also mentioned that the province was winning the war against mother-to-child transmission of HIV. “Pregnant mothers are testing for HIV in numbers and that assists the department to implement healthy measures,” he added. Mashego also said the stigma surrounding HIV was gradually going away as the number of children dying at birth was decreasing.
He added that he was happy with the standard of hygiene that local hospitals and clinics were maintaining. “We have turned the corner as the Mpumalanga Department of Health. We are working towards curbing the mortality rate, by recruiting more specialists to strengthen and support primary health care in the quest to reduce maternal and child mortality,” said Mashego.
The maternity division in the hospital is also headed by a male doctor, something the MEC said he was proud of. A total of 108 infants were born at Ehlanzeni district public health institutions on New Year’s Day, the provincial health department said. There were 63 girls and 45 boys, spokesman Mr Dumisani Malamule said in a statement. Out of these recorded births, Rob Ferreira Hospital welcomed five babies. Ms
Ayanda Simelane gave birth to Tinashe Mkasi weighing 2,690 killograms at 06:00, while Ms Ashia Tembe gave birth to a baby girl weighing 3,32 and Ms Pertunia Zitha of Gedlemabane welcomed a baby boy weighing 2,64 kilograms into the world.
