Lim welcomes 53 Christmas babies and 128 New Year’s bundles of joy

LIMPOPO welcomed 128 New Year’s babies into the world last Thursday, while 53 babies were born on Christmas Day.

Health MEC Ishmael Kgetjepe paid a visit to Philadelphia Hospital in Dennilton, Matlala Hospital and St Rita’s Hospital in Glen Cowie on New Year’s Day to congratulate the mothers of the new year’s babies who were born there.

Kgetjepe encouraged health officials to take good care of the mothers and their babies. Of the 128 babies born on New Year’s Day, 51 were girls and 77 were boys.

All the babies and their mothers were healthy, Kgetjepe added.

The first baby to be born in the province in 2015 was a boy who was delivered at Tshilidzini Hospital in Thohoyandou just a minute after midnight.

The mother, Doris Mahlaule, said her baby weighed 3,7kg at birth.

The same hospital also welcomed the new year’s first set of twins, two boys born at 00:02 and 00:20.

The twins’ mother, Ntshengedzeni Nemabaka, said she was over the moon to have her twins on the first day of the year.

“God blessed me with twins, and I thank all the nurses and doctors for the support they gave me,” she said.

During his vist, Kgetjepe said he wanted to see all Limpopo hospitals’ dispensaries fully stocked with medication.

“It would be a scandal if there was no medicine available in hospitals,” he said.

Of the 53 babies born on Christmas Day, 24 were girls and 29 were boys.

This number was less than half the figure for Christmas Day in 2013, when 118 babies were recorded to have been born in the province.

The first baby, a girl, to be born on Christmas Day was delivered at Donald Frazer Hospital in Sibasa at 00:02 and weighed 3,8kg. The second baby, a boy, was born at 00:15 and weighed 3,1kg.

Health spokesperson, Macks Lesufi, said all the babies were born healthy and their mothers were well and in high spirits.

“Limpopo premier Stanley Mathabatha and the MEC for health took time on Christmas Day to present the new mothers at Lebowakgomo Hospital with Christmas gifts. They extended their congratulations to all the new mothers,” he said.