Babies die as Gauteng hospitals are short of 90 neonatal ICUs

19 July 2023

Gauteng public hospitals are short of 90 neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) that could save the lives of premature and sickly babies.

This information is revealed by Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

Worst affected is the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital which has 18 neonatal ICUs but should have 17 more NICUs to meet international standards of care. This shortage is a major factor in the 909 baby deaths that could have been avoided there in the past three years.

The Pholosong Hospital in the Far East Rand also requires 17 more NICU beds for its busy neonatal ward.

Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital has 14 functioning ICU beds for children, but they need 20 beds to provide a proper service. Unfortunately, they have 4 NICU beds they cannot use because of a shortage of staff and equipment.

Kalafong Hospital is short of 13 NICU beds, and Tambo Memorial Hospital is short of 8 NICU beds.

The George Mukhari, Edenvale and Mamelodi hospitals each need 6 more NICUs, while Tembisa and Far East Rand should each have an additional 4 NICUs, and Leratong Hospital needs 3 more NICUs.

According to the management at the Steve Biko and Thelle Mogoerane hospitals, they have adequate neonatal ICUs for the patients they serve.

When NICU beds are short, the hospitals try to place them at other hospitals but they admit this is not always possible and their survival rate decreases. Often, the only option is to ventilate babies in ordinary wards.

According to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, “transporting sick babies is risky, so survival can be affected negatively.”

Edenvale Hospital has no neonatal ICUs, and they say “babies mostly die awaiting tertiary care.” Despite claiming they have adequate ICU beds, the Thelle Mogoerane Hospital also says babies die waiting for tertiary care.

Plans to expand NICU beds are inadequate. Renovations are taking place at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital to get NICU beds up from 18 to 23, but this still leaves a shortage of 12 NICU beds in a very busy unit with high medical negligence claims.

Charlotte Maxeke Hospital is looking to employ more multidisciplinary staff to care for babies, while George Mukhari Hospital has no plan to increase new beds except to get a new hospital.

Tembisa Hospital is asking to build a mother and child unit with 10 ICU beds, and has also asked for another nearby hospital to be built to serve the local population.

Another constraint is the shortage of NICU nurses, with much blame placed on the delay in accrediting nurse training courses.

It is appalling that babies die because ICU beds are not available. Rectifying the shortage of neonatal ICUs should be a top priority to save the lives of sick babies.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, 19 July 2023