Home News 56 children under age of five have died in NC hospitals

56 children under age of five have died in NC hospitals

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At the provincial Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley there were a total of 24 deaths in children under the age of five years.

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WHILE the focus has been on Covid-19-related deaths, it has emerged that 56 children under the age of five years have died in Northern Cape public hospitals since the State of Disaster was declared.

This is according to the Minister of Health, who was responding to a parliamentary question posted by the DA’s Haseenabanu Ismail recently.

In his response, the Minister of Health indicated that during the three months, from April 1 to June 30, a total of 39 neonatal babies (0 to 28 days) died in provincial hospitals, while 17 children between the ages of one month to five years died.

“The majority of deaths in the newborn period are due to prematurity, infection and birth asphyxia. The leading causes of death in children aged between one month and five years are diarrhoea, pneumonia and septicaemia, with HIV infection and malnutrition as important underlying conditions. As deaths due to diarrhoea and pneumonia decline, the proportion of deaths due to congenital disorders and non-natural deaths (as a result of accidents/injuries) is rising,” Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize stated.

At the provincial Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley there were a total of 24 deaths in children under the age of five years. This included 14 neonates and 10 children between the ages of one month and five years.

The regional Dr Harry Surtie Hospital recorded 11 neonatal deaths and the death of one child.

The Kuruman Hospital had six neonatal deaths and two deaths of children.

Two neonatal deaths each were recorded at the Kakamas and Tshwaragano hospitals, while one death each was recorded at the De Aar (Central Karoo Hospital), Hartswater (Connie Vorster Hospital), Postmasburg and Springbok (Dr Van Niekerk Hospital) hospitals.

The De Aar (Central Hospital), Postmasburg Hospital, Springbok Hospital and Tshwaragano Hospital recorded one death each of children between the ages of one month and five years.

Nationally, a total of 3 942 children died in the three months from the beginning of April until the end of June. Of these, 3 087 were neonatal deaths and 855 were children between the ages of one month and five years.

According to the Northern Cape Department of Health, the latest Covid-19 statistics indicate that 106 people in the Province have died from the coronavirus since the start of the outbreak.

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