The North West Department of Health has suspended two nurses who are directly involved to a unit where newborn babies were placed inside boxes.

This comes after the department launched an investigation into the allegations that there was a shortage of incubators and baby beds at Mahikeng Provincial Hospital. This is after images of newborn babies at the hospital placed inside boxes circulated on social media.

BABIES IN BOXES

The pictures were calculated by a concerned hospital worker with a private account who felt that the North West Department did not care about the newborn babies. As if that was not enough, today nurses at the same hospital embarked on a protest in solidarity with two senior nurses, who have been suspended. The nurses are accused of placing newborn babies on cardboard boxes due to a shortage of incubators.

THE SUSPENSION 

North West Department of Health spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane confirmed the nurses' suspension. "The department is aware of the decision of some of our employees and some nurses at the Mahikeng Provincial Hospital who decided to protest the decision to suspend the nursing manager and the nurse responsible for that unit. It is important to note that the suspension of the nurses does not mean that the nurses are guilty or have been found guilty. The suspension is to allow the investigation since the unit they are managing is directly affected. The department will be monitoring the situation because what is important is service delivery at the hospital," he said.

DAILY REALITY

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in the North West said there was nothing shocking about the newborn babies being put inside boxes. In a statement, DENOSA said that the matter does not need any investigation as it is the daily reality that healthcare workers are always faced with in the healthcare service centres due to the shortage of equipment and resources. Denosa chairperson in the province, Motlalepule Maikepa said the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the hospital, has been short of 20 incubators and cribs for a long period of time. "The unit has 25 incubators, and had more than 55 babies on the day in question, looked after by only seven nurses. The matter of procuring the incubators and cribs has been with procurement for a long time.