Pretoria welcomes over 100 babies on Christmas Day

A total of 122 babies were born in Tshwane public hospitals and centres on Christmas Day.

Academic hospitals delivered 82 babies across the province mostly from Chris Hani Baragwanath academic hospital with 44 deliveries, followed by Dr. George Mukhari with 21 deliveries and then Steve Biko with 12.

Other babies were delivered in regional and district hospitals as well as community healthcare centres across the province.

In total, 403 births were recorded in Gauteng with 197 of them being male while 206 were female.

Mediclinic Muelmed in Arcadia welcomed three babies; two male and a female while Mediclinic Midstream welcomed a boy and a girl on Christmas Day.

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MEC for Health, Nomathemba Mokgethi together with the Executive Mayor of Emfuleni local municipality, Sipho Radebe and Sedibeng district municipality MMC for Health, Lola Khunou visited Sebokeng hospital on Saturday to welcome the newborn babies and celebrate with their parents, as well as present them with gifts.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank healthcare workers who are working throughout this period. It has been a difficult time since the global Covid-19 pandemic hit, having to cope with their own fears and anxieties, and still ensuring that the people of Gauteng receive the best service when visiting health facilities,” she said.

“Thank you for always making Christmas time cheerful and filled with love to mothers and their newborns. We wish all parents well and encourage mothers to opt for breastfeeding their babies as it is essential and has many health benefits for newborns,” said Mokgethi.

MEC Mokgethi also urged parents of the newly-born babies to register their births earl through the Home Affairs offices available at health facilities.