Baby deaths not nurses' fault
2010-07-28 18:17
Johannesburg - Nurses at the Kimberley Hospital Complex have cared beyond their duty for babies among whom 22 died last month under their watch, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) said on Wednesday.
"It is unfortunate that some babies have lost their lives," the organisation said in a statement.
Denosa said challenges such as shortage of staff in the Northern Cape's health sector needed to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
"Every time a nurse leaves the province or the profession it leaves a bigger burden and it increases the medico-legal risk associated with this," Denosa said.
"Specialised units such as neonatal ICU (intensive care unit) need one-on-one care, which is one baby per nurse, because these babies are not well developed and need intensive care for their survival," it said.
"Families have lost their babies, as a community we should comfort them and communicate words that will help them heal."
But the organisation also called on support to be offered to nurses working in the ICU with the babies, "because no nurse wants to see a patient die, especially a baby".
- SAPA