Limpopo Health MEC, Phophi Ramathuba, has started investigations into the deaths of newborn babies at Maphuta-Malatji hospital outside Phalaborwa.
This follows complaints from community members.
Some of the parents were ordered to take still-born babies home allegedly by the hospital authorities.
The Maphuta-Malatji hospital has a history of recording a high number of infant mortality cases.
Our oversight inspection to Maphutha Malatji hospital in Limpopo revealed that of the approximately 230 babies born here every month, an average of 28% (about 64) die.
Public healthcare has become a death-trap.
SA needs change!
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) June 14, 2018
Department spokesperson Neil Shikwambana says that MEC is concerned as the hospital has a state-of-the-art pediatric ward.
“The MEC is instituting this investigation because she has received several complaints from community members who are worried about the numbers of newborns who are dying in that hospital. The MEC felt necessary that such investigations must be done quickly because you’d know that there’s history in that particular institution.”
