The Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Gauteng has welcomed seven New Year babies, born between midnight and 7am (January 1, 2023).
According to Gauteng Department of Health MEC spokesperson Tshepo Shawa, the maternity unit at the government-funded medical facility received three girls and four boys.
The MEC for the Gauteng Department of Health, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, visited health facilities in the morning to congratulate new mothers and celebrate the birth of new year babies in the country.
Also read: Gauteng hospital welcomes Christmas babies
The MEC gave gifts to the mothers and encouraged them to register their babies at the Department of Home Affairs who are also at the hospital, to get the baby’s birth certificate.
They further encourage taking small children for polio and measles immunizations at local clinics and breastfeeding newborns to ensure their regular development. “They must follow the monthly appointment for this and must be disciplined. This is the problem we are currently facing, where some mothers miss the date to vaccinate their children,” he said.
Another baby arrived
“We expect more babies to be born at the facility later. So we will have more New Year babies to celebrate.
“In a month, we see about 1450 to 1500 babies. I want to congratulate the doctors and nurses for the work they do. It is not an easy job [sic] to give birth to babies and ensure that the babies are healthy, as we have seen,” the MEC told the media during an interview.
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MEC also takes time to encourage younger mothers to continue their education. “I do that because I know that when these kids get babies, they feel like their lives stop. So I tell them that it’s not the end of their lives. They have to go to school, but they have to take care of these babies and protect them. And they have to see the child’s development – child.
Last year, the country welcomed 150 New Year babies.