The Human Rights Commission says it will help the families of the six babies, who died following an outbreak of Klebsiella at the Thelle Mogoerane hospital, get compensation.
On Wednesday, the commission conducted a site inspection of the hospital on Gauteng’s East Rand after a number of babies contracted Klebsiella Pneumonia.
Overcrowding of the neo-natal unit was listed as one of the causes of the outbreak of the virus. Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi has since announced the closure of the neo-natal unit at the hospital to decontaminate the wards.
Human Rights Commission spokesperson Buang Jones says they also stand ready to mediate between the families and the health department.
“The commission is a constitutional body. We will assist them free of charge and we can play a mediatory role and we can do like Judge Moseneke did in Esidimeni; so that we curb the increasing cost of litigation faced by the department.”
