Parents of babies born on New Year’s Day have expressed joy over the enactment of a law allowing the extension of paid parental leave to 10 days for fathers.
Parental leave may also be applicable in circumstances where an employee legally adopts a child or when a child is placed by a court in the care of a prospective adoptive parent.
These parents at Dora Nginza Hospital in Port Elizabeth have expressed gratitude towards hospital staff and officials who have supported them in welcoming the little New Year arrivals.
“I get very good service here because I was so scared to come here. I didn’t know what was going on with me. But the nurses and doctors took care of me.”
“I am very excited because it will give me time to bond with the child. Previously, three days was not enough. At least now these 10 days will give enough time for me to be home with the child and mother.”
Meanwhile, 25 New Year’s Day babies have been born in the North West between midnight and 06:00. The provincial health authorities say all the babies and their mothers are healthy.
MEC for the Department of Health, Madoda Sambatha, says five of the 25 babies were born in Klerksdorp Hospital.
“Before 08:30 it was around 20 but here it is around five where we are. The reason why we have this programme is to welcome them. This one is also the beginning of a population register, that is why we have a Home Affairs office in each health facility so that they can register and when they are discharged, they get discharged with a birth certificate having ID numbers,” says Sambatha.
