health team to investigate quality of water in ec
29 April 2008  

The National Health Council (NHC) received a report from the Eastern Cape Department of Health on the death of babies during its regular meeting held in Boksburg recently. According to the provincial department, 15 babies at the Cloete Joubert Hospital and nine at Empilisweni Hospital died of gastroenteritis during the period of January to March 2008. 

According to health spokesperson Sibani Mngadi, a total of 80 babies have been reported to have died during the three month period from various causes, not just gastroenteritis as has been reported. “It was observed that the 24 babies that died from gastroenteritis lived in poor socio-economic conditions with poor access to proper sanitation and safe water,” said Mr Mngadi.
The NHC expressed its concern about the incidents and delay in raising the alarm about the unusual trends in the cases of gastroenteritis in the area.

It also raised concern in the delay of reporting the challenges in the supply of necessary medication to respond to increased cases of diarrhoea.
 
During the meeting, the NHC urged the new Ministerial Committee on under-five mortality to investigate the circumstances that have led to the death of the babies in the area and to recommend interventions that would decrease the number of infant deaths.

“The NHC also resolved to hold an urgent meeting with South African Local Government Association [SALGA] to discuss the challenges relating to delivery of basic services that have a detrimental effect on health. “Issues that will be discussed with SALGA include the need to strengthen health promotion and environmental health, which are a core-function of local government,” said Mr Mngadi.

The NHC also emphasised the need to strengthen surveillance, increase public awareness and need to ensure the readiness of health facilities to deal with higher number of cases of diarrhoea during diarrhoeal season, normally from November to March.

Local health staff, district and provincial management have been directed to report timeously any changes in the disease pattern in the area, said Mr Mngadi.

The NHC includes the Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, Health MECs, South African Local Government Association and South African Military Health Services as well as National and Provincial health senior officials.

Gabi Khumalo, www.buanews.gov.za