Government should be ashamed of this - babies at Bara in cardboard boxes

By Louise Flanagan

Three newborn babies snuggle next to each other in a cardboard box in one of the world's biggest hospitals because there isn't enough money to buy each a crib.

Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto has had its equipment budget slashed by more than half this year - so that the province could buy "big-ticket" equipment for other Gauteng hospitals.

This meant expenditure at the biggest referral hospital in Southern Africa was put on hold until next year or longer.

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"It does have an impact and we would preferably like about R34-million to catch up with our equipment backlog," said Bara CEO Arthur Manning on Sunday.

The budget for equipment was usually about R20-million for the entire hospital, but for the current financial year it was R7-million.

Bara would get some extra cash from the province but must wait for the rest.

"It's a two- or three-year equipment purchase plan," Manning said.

The hospital had tried to maintain minimum standards of care. "The equipment at Bara is old and it does make it more difficult."

One of the departments feeling the cut is maternity.

Department head Professor Eckhart Buchmann said he was trying to prioritise urgent equipment needs from a long list of requirements.

During a visit by The Star on Friday, he called the process of replacing broken or damaged equipment "administratively very difficult" and noted that patient numbers put a huge load on equipment being used.

In the 2005/6 financial year, Bara admitted 137 690 patients. The maternity section admitted 28 167 mothers and 33 456 babies.

In 2006/7, a total of 22 746 babies were born at Bara. On average, one mother and six babies died every week.

More than a quarter of the babies were born by Caesarean - an average of 17 operations a day.

Every day about 100 mothers are admitted to give birth - but there are only 16 beds for admissions. This means each bed is used by about six different patients a day.

Buchmann referred to it "a crush of humanity".

His wards recently received foetal monitors, which can avert some of the stillbirths.

New drip counters - which measure the medication administered through drips - are needed.

There's a chronic shortage of linen - mattresses in the maternity section are permanently soiled and beds are pushed together to make one large bed for patient overflows.

The three newborns in the cardboard box born on Friday were all healthy, so they were put together to save space and keep each other warm.

Dr Alison van Kwawegen said there was constant pressure on beds and incubators for ill babies who couldn't share beds or incubators with others.

About 15 "extra" babies were turned away each month, with staff trying to find place for them at other hospitals.

Nurses are urgently needed at Bara.

There are 5 759 posts at the hospital, including 588 positions for doctors and 2 088 for nurses.

At the end of the last financial year there were 935 vacancies - a fifth of the posts.

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More than a quarter of the babies were born by Caesarean - an average of 17 operations a day.

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Frere hospital chief fired
September 28 2007

The medical superintendent of Cecilia Makiwane hospital, who spoke out about the recent spate of baby deaths there, has been fired, the Eastern Cape Health Department said on Friday.

"She received a letter this morning stating that she was dismissed. She was found guilty on all charges brought against her at the disciplinary hearing," said spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo.

The department found Dr Nokuzola Ntshona guilty on three charges of speaking out against the department's handling of the Frere Hospital maternity saga. She was suspended last month after writing to the Office of the President about conditions at the hospital.

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'My hell under Manto'
August 11 2007
By Chiara Carter
She revealed that she had been approached by Mluleki George and Ntombazana Botha, two fellow deputy ministers who come from the Eastern Cape and were very worried about the situation.

She had used the term "national emergency" because of the "shocking realisation that some of these deaths were avoidable and that the situation was not unique to Frere Hospital".

Madlala-Routledge said repeatedly that she stuck by the principles of the Freedom Charter.

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Ricard said:

Not to be funny, but the Cesarean section in the rest of the world is recommended as a LAST resort - Looks like a niche business for Anesthesiologists and Gynecologists...

15 minutes work, hand over the stitching and cleanup to an unqualified intern - collect R2000... rinse and repeat.

I really cant put ALL the blame on the health dept... but I can put some blame on Employees exploiting the system for their own gains. doctors, Nurses, Hospital Management .. ad nauseum..

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Telkomhater said:

from http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3045&art_id=vn20071001032059546C556921



Thank God we have medical aid

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PeterCH said:

If cardboard boxes are the only issue it's not worth writing home about. Babies are usually kept in see-through plastic boxes, if the cardboard is strong enough, and clean - it's not a big deal. The infant is wrapped in linen and a blanket.

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