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- The North West health department says it's shocked by incidents of newborn babies being placed in boxes at a local hospital.
- It says it is investigating the matter.
- A procurement process is underway at the hospital for additional incubators and cribs.
The North West Department of Health is investigating a case of newborn babies being placed in cardboard boxes in Mahikeng Provincial Hospital's neonatal section.
The incident came to light after a Facebook post showed babies wrapped in purple hospital blankets, with nasogastric tubes, and placed in brown boxes.
Department spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane said the department apologised unreservedly and added that they were investigating.
According to preliminary internal investigations by hospital management, the incident happened during the day on Saturday. However, it was not reported to management.
Health MEC Madoda Sambatha expressed shock that newborn babies in the neonatal section were placed in boxes instead of incubators or crib beds.
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"The department takes this matter in a serious light because there are systems and procedures in place which should have guided the hospital on a solution if there were any challenges of shortage of incubators at the time. There are also management meetings held on Monday morning that normally look into the weekend reports, yet this incident was never reported."
He added that the department would investigate further to establish for how long the babies were inside the boxes.
Sambatha said:
He said said that, as a matter of urgency, arrangements had been made for additional cribs to be sent to the hospital.
"The CEO is following up on the procurement process, which is under way in the hospital for additional incubators and cribs," he said.
