The Gauteng Health Department has reported that 788 newborns died at Tembisa Hospital due to infections, immaturity-related complications, hypoxia and congenital anomalies since 2020, reports News24.

Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko was responding to DA questions at the provincial legislature on Tuesday.

The department was asked about the maternity and neonatal wards at Tembisa Hospital, and how many babies were born between 2020 and 2022.

It was also asked how many babies died during this period and how many were born with brain damage. 

Nkomo-Ralehoko said about 50 000 babies were delivered at Tembisa Hospital in the past three years. Of those, 237 died in 2020/21, 271 in 2021/22 and 280 in 2022/23. 

She said issues and resource challenges such as facility staff and equipment shortages have been prioritised.

DA health spokesperson Jack Bloom said he was concerned that the percentage of infection deaths had risen to 37%, much higher than the 25.1% infection deaths in 2020.

‘Tembisa Hospital has been rocked by scandal due to massive irregular and wasted spending amounting to R1bn over the past three years, according to a Special Investigating Unit report. This shows that it is not a shortage of money, but a shortage of competent and honest management that dooms many babies to die from avoidable causes,’ he said.

Full News24 report