Failures in infrastructure, maintenance and governance are contributing to maternal and neonatal deaths in the province
Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.BLOEMFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA MARCH 11: A newborn baby at the Kangaroo Mother Care Centre at Pelonomi Hospital on March 11, 2014 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The Kangaroo Mother Care Centre helps women who deliver premature babies across the Free State province to take care of their babies until they are fully developed.
“This is just a daily routine — we have to improvise. When you report that you don’t have something or you don’t know how to do this procedure without , you are told you’re a nurse and you need to improvise.” The Eastern Cape has 775 primary healthcare facilities, of which 733 are clinics and 42 community healthcare centres. It has 90 hospitals.
Neonatal deaths were flagged as concerns. From April 2020 to March 2021, there was a mortality rate of 14.3%, and in the following year it was 11%, but it increased again in April 2022 to March 2023 to 13.9%. The report noted that overcrowding was prevalent across the six health facilities — Livingstone, Cecilia Makiwane, Frere, Bisho, Dora Nginza and St Elizabeth.
There was also a consistent increase in the rate of early neonatal deaths and neonatal deaths in the facility from 2020 to 2023. This is despite it being “well maintained” in terms of building and floors, ventilation and general hygiene. While the facility met some standards, it fell short in providing health and reproductive services for women.
Delivery among adolescents aged 10 to 19 also contributed to high rates of maternal and neonatal deaths, according to the report. “The high delivery rate among patients aged 10 to 14 years old is alarming.
“What we observed is that in the hospital, infrastructure displayed concerning maintenance issues. There are leaking roofs, mould, peeling paint and poor cleanliness,” Shuping said. Maternal deaths decreased from 20 in 2021 and 2022, and to 16 in 2022 and 2023. The commission said these deaths were commonly attributed to pre-existing maternal conditions including respiratory, congenital heart and haematological diseases. Other causes of death were Aids and ectopic pregnancies. According to the report, in June 2020, it was as high as 29.4% but in September 2022 it dropped to zero.
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