Staff Reporter.
Minister of Health Joe Phaahla has revealed that 1824 infants died at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital between 2020 and February 2023.
Phaahla revealed this in a written reply to Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Naledi Chirwa’s questions in parliament.
Chirwa had asked the minister:
- The infant mortality rate at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in each of the past three years;
- The number of healthcare workers in the same department that have since been employed at the specified hospital;
- The number of obstetrics ambulances have been procured to date at the hospital;
- Plans that are in place to ensure that infant mortality due to negligence, lack of healthcare professional personnel is avoided and reduced;
- The targets the department set in this regard in the past year;
- The number of the specified targets that have been achieved.
The minister said that, of the number, 1 087 babies who died were 0 to six days old, 515 babies were between seven to 28 days and 222 were between 29 days and 11 months.
According to the World Health Organization, sub-Saharan Africa had the highest neonatal mortality rate in the world, at 43%.
Phaahla further clarified that the provision of ambulances was the responsibility of Gauteng EMS, not the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, adding that Gauteng EMS did not have dedicated obstetric ambulances as all ambulances are equipped to treat and transport all emergencies including obstetric cases.
Gauteng EMS is piloting the Gauteng Scheduled Emergency Transport (G-SET) which is a scheduled transport system between high call volume facilities like CHBAH. We are encouraged by the improved response times and plan to expand G-SET during the new financial year subject to recruitment of additional staff, “Phaahla said.
Phaahla said the action plan includes having monitoring and evaluation teams that monitor perinatal mortality data using the Perinatal Problem Identification Program (PPIP) to exclude avoidable deaths.
“Facility management must ensure that all delivering institution discuss every death within 7 days, report on PPIP, develop and follow up on implementation of Quality Improvement Plans (QIP),” said Phaahla.
Junior staff must also be provided technical support and onsite corrective measures.
The Department of Health reached the sustainable development goal set target of 12/1 000live births by 2030 for newborn nationally which is part of the infant mortality rate. The Department is therefore striving to sustain the performance not to regress below the current achievement, however, the Infant Mortality Rate sustainable development goal which is also the Departmental goal is set at 20/1 000 live births by 2030,” said Phaahla.
Compiled by Lehlohonolo Lehana.