Baby death report released

2008-10-03 11:22

Cape Town - The surge in child mortality figures in the Ukhahlamba area in the Eastern Cape at the beginning of the year was due to poor health standards, the Democratic Alliance said on Thursday.

DA spokesperson on Health Mike Waters said a report by the task team investigating the deaths showed that the high mortality rate was not due to contaminated water as earlier suggested.

"These documents paint a grim and depressing picture of health services in this part of the Eastern Cape. It is clear that no particular disease outbreak led to the spike in baby deaths in the district earlier this year, but rather that the health service available was simply hopelessly defective," he said in a statement.

The report, released to the DA by the health department on Thursday, also attributed the deaths to high levels of poverty in the area.

The DA has been calling for the release of the report following an investigation by the task team into the deaths of 140 babies in the Ukhahlamba area early this year.

"The DA has been trying for four months to obtain these reports, and we welcome the fact that the new Minister of Health, Barbara Hogan, seems to have brought a new spirit of openness and accountability to the department," Waters said.

The health department should see to it that all weaknesses highlighted in the report were addressed.

"It is notable that many of the problems did not arise because of inadequate funding, but were simply a question of poor management," Waters said.

- SAPA