The Department of Health has announced that public hospitals in Gauteng delivered 167 babies between midnight and 12 midnight on January 1, 2023.
According to the department, the academic hospital delivered 15 babies and the tertiary hospital delivered 25 babies.
“Academic hospitals gave birth to 15 babies mostly from Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital with 7 babies, followed by Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital with 4 births.
“Tertiary Hospital delivered 25 babies with Tembisa Hospital receiving 20 babies and Kalafong Hospital with 5 births,” the department said in a statement.
Gauteng New Year Baby
01 January 2023
First report – Time: 00:00 – 12:00 pic.twitter.com/r8ERsCDw2B— Gauteng Health (@GautengHealth) January 1, 2023
Gauteng MEC for Health and Welfare Nomantu Nkomo – Ralehoko visited the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital on Sunday morning to welcome the newborn and celebrate with the parents and also present gifts.
MEC @NkomoNomantu given as a gift to mothers of new babies and encourage them to register their babies in @HomeAffairsSA based at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital #NewYear2023 pic.twitter.com/Xte2Bz5r5a— Gauteng Health (@GautengHealth) January 1, 2023
NOW Read: Gauteng hospital welcomes Christmas babies
“We encourage all mothers who have just given birth to their joy to use the Department of Home Affairs office located in our facility to register their baby before going home.
“We also encourage them to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six (6) months, because breast milk contains all the nutrients and antibodies that babies need to grow and protect them from diseases. They should also ensure that young children are immunized at the regular age so that it can protect against diseases such as polio, hepatitis, measles and meningitis,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko.
The health department said more than 500 babies were born across the country between midnight and noon on Christmas Day, with the majority born in Gauteng.
Also read: SA sends more than five hundred Christmas babies