84 babies abandoned in Krugersdorp alone
Babies abandoned at Leratong and Dr Yusuf Dadoo Hospitals included in the 116 that were abandoned in Gauteng this year.
116 babies have thusfar been abandoned in hospitals in Gauteng this year, according to the Health MEC, Qedani Mahlangu.
Poverty, unplanned and teenage pregnancy, substance and alcohol abuse, preference for a certain gender and children born with physical disabilities are some of the reasons given for abandoning babies.
The News spoke to the spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Health (DoH), Steve Mabona, about how Krugersdorp is affected.
“Leratong and Dr Yusuf Dadoo Hospitals fall under tertiary and regional hospitals respectively and the number of abandoned babies for those hospitals in those categories is 84,” he told the News. He said further that the numbers of abandoned babies were classified according to the type of hospital.
The DA’s shadow MEC of Health, Jack Bloom, believes that abandonment of babies is a societal issue.
“This issue is disturbing because Leratong and Yusuf Dadoo both have high numbers of abandoned babies. I think many of those babies are from foreign mothers who face poverty and don’t see a future for their child, because nobody willingly gives up a child.
At least those babies are abandoned in hospital and not in a field somewhere, so they are safe,” he told the News.
Bloom also said that the West Rand needs more facilities that will take care of abandoned babies.
The DoH plans to embark on the following measures to decrease child abandonment:
• ongoing educational talks in the relevant units;
• planning for annual outreach programs during Pregnancy Week to make the community aware of the different options available to address unplanned pregnancy, such as contraception, legal termination of pregnancy, adoption, and foster care;
• conducting support groups for mothers with premature babies, special needs and poor prognosis;
• tracing of families and reporting them to the South African Police Services; and
• providing maternity packs (nappies, wipes, baby clothes, blankets, sanitary pads, baby oil, soap and so forth) for mothers and their children.
The spokespersons at both Leratong and Yusuf Dadoo Hospitals were approached for comment, but the News was told they were unavailable.
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