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Tsholofelo Masela

Why are so many babies dying in our hospitals Baby Yum Yum

Zulu

Kungani ziningi kangaka izingane ezishona ezibhedlela zethu?

by Tsholofelo Masela June 6, 2023

written by Tsholofelo Masela

Isibhedlela iChris Hani Baragwanath Academic sithole ukugxekwa ngobudedengu bezempilo ngemuva kokuthola kabuhlungu ukuthi izingane zishone ngenxa yezigameko ebezigwemeka. Siyaphenya ukuthi kwenzekani. By Tsholofela Masela

UNgqongqoshe wezeMpilo uJoe Phaahla ubike ukuthi zingu-1824 izingane ezishonele esibhedlela iChris Hani Baragwanath phakathi kuka-2020 no-2022. Lesi sibhedlela saqopha ukufa kwezingane ezingu-564 ngo-2020, 660 ngo-2021, kwathi ngo-600 ngo-2022.

Ungqongqoshe wezempilo ubhale umbiko ekhuluma ngobudedengu eChris Hani Baragwanath njengoba ingesinye sezibhedlela ezinkulu nesimatasatasa kuleli. Lo mbiko ubuyimpendulo yephalamende, nemibuzo ethize ngezansi evela eLungwini le-EFF uNaledi Chirwa;

Lalingakanani izinga lokufa kwezingane eChris Hani Baragwanath eminyakeni emithathu edlule?
Isibalo sabasebenzi bezempilo emnyangweni ofanayo oseqashwe esibhedlela
Mangaki ama-ambulensi okubelethisa asethengelwe isibhedlela kuze kube manje?
Yiziphi izinhlelo ebezikhona zokuqinisekisa ukuthi ukushona kwezingane ngenxa yobudedengu nokushoda kwabasebenzi bezempilo kuyagwenywa futhi kuncishiswe?
Okuhloswe wuMnyango Wezempilo mayelana nokushona kwezingane ngo-2023.
Inani lemigomo ebekiwe efinyelelwe.

Imibuzo engenhla ikhanyisa ukuthi kungani iNhlangano Yezempilo Yomhlaba wonke ingabeka i-Sub-Saharan Africa kumaphesenti aphezulu okufa kwezingane ezisanda kuzalwa emhlabeni, kuma-43%.

Lesi sibalo siqinisekisa ukuthi ubudedengu bezokwelapha nokufa okungagwemeka kuyingxenye yohlelo lwezempilo lukahulumeni oluhlulekayo oludinga ukulungiswa.

Wenzani uMnyango Wezempilo ukulungisa izinkinga?

Isiqinisekiso sokuphila kosana siqala ngokunakekelwa umama akuthola ekuqaleni kokukhulelwa ngokunakekelwa kokubeletha, ukuqokwa njalo futhi ekugcineni, ukubeletha. Kodwa-ke, ngokombiko kaPhaahla, konke lokhu ngeke kufezeke uma iminyango ehlukene ingasebenzi ndawonye ukuze kuzuze lukhulu.

Izibhedlela azinawo ama-ambulensi akhethekile okubelethisa, okusho ukuthi abanye omama abakhulelwe ngeke bafike ngesikhathi esibhedlela ukuze bayobeletha bephephile.

UPhaahla uqhube wathi ukuhlinzekwa kwama-ambulensi kuwumsebenzi we-EMS yaseGauteng hhayi isibhedlela. Kodwa-ke, i-Gauteng EMS iqala i-Gauteng Scheduled Emergency Transport (G-SET) okuwuhlelo lwezokuthutha oluhleliwe ezindaweni ezibiza kakhulu njengeSibhedlela iChris Hani. Ungqongqoshe usamile ekutheni i-G-SET izosetshenziswa onyakeni wezimali omusha, ikhuthazwa yizikhathi zokuphendula ezithuthukisiwe, nokwandisa amathuba okuqasha abasebenzi abengeziwe.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngokusho kuka-Phaahla, iSibhedlela i-Baragwanath sinohlelo lokusebenza oluhlanganisa ukuba namathimba aqaphayo kanye nokuhlola aqapha imininingwane yokushona kokubeletha. Amaqembu asebenzisa i-Perinatal Problem Identification Programme (PPIP) ukuze aqede ukufa okungagwemeka.

Abaphathi besikhungo kufanele baqinisekise ukuthi zonke izikhungo zokulethwa kwezidingo zixoxa ngokufa kwabantu phakathi kwezinsuku eziyisikhombisa, zibike nge-PPIP, zithuthukise futhi zilandelele ukuqaliswa kwe-Quality Improvement Plans (QIP). Abasebenzi abasebancane kufanele futhi banikezwe ukwesekwa kwezobuchwepheshe kanye nezinyathelo zokulungisa endaweni.

Iziphi izimbangela eziyinhloko zokufa kwabantu?

Ubudedengu bezempilo kuthiwa bubangelwa ukugcwala ngokweqile, ukuntuleka kwabasebenzi kanye nokuphathwa kabi kwesibhedlela. Izibhedlela eziningi zaseGauteng zibhekene nokuminyana, kodwa i-Baragwanath ihlangabezana nezibalo ezicindezelayo zokuminyana ngenxa yokuthi ibhekelela izakhamuzi zaseGauteng eziningi ngenxa yobukhulu nobungcweti.

Lezi zinkinga zibangela ukungafani phakathi kwesidingo sesevisi nokuhlinzekwa, kanye nokugeleza kwesiguli esingasebenzi emibhedeni yasesibhedlela.

Njengoba kunezinsizakusebenza ezilinganiselwe, ungqongqoshe ukholelwa ukuthi izikhungo zezempilo eziningi zikahulumeni bezingenza kangcono ukube bekungengenxa yokungasebenzi kahle, ukuphatha kabi, ukungawunaki umsebenzi ngenxa yokungabhekwa kahle kanye nenkohlakalo.

Ngenkathi kucutshungulwa konke ukwehluleka kokuphatha nokuphatha, ucwaningo oluhilela izingane ezisanda kuzalwa luphinde lwembula ukwanda kwezifo ezibangelwa amagciwane amelana nezidakamizwa eziningi ezibhedlela zaseNingizimu Afrika. Ucwaningo oluholwa ngongoti beNational Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), luveze ukuthi izifo eziningi zenzeka ngemuva kosuku lwesithathu umuntu ephila ngakho-ke kungenzeka ukuthi zitholwa esibhedlela.

Lolu cwaningo lwenziwa eminyakeni eyisithupha ukuze kulinganiswe umthwalo wesiko oqinisekisa ukuthi izifo ezithinta izingane ezisanda kuzalwa kanye ne-meningitis eNingizimu Afrika. Kwakubandakanya ukuhlaziywa kwegazi kanye namarekhodi e-cerebrospinal fluid culture pathology avela ezinganeni ezisanda kuzalwa ezibhedlela zomkhakha womphakathi ezingama-256.

Lolu cwaningo bekuwuhlaziyo lokuqala lwezinga labantu likazwelonke lokuhlaziywa kwezifo ezisanda kuzalwa ezihlaselayo emkhakheni wezempilo kahulumeni wendawo okubandakanya izingane ezingaphansi kwezinsuku ezingamashumi amabili nesishiyagalombili ezamukelwe phakathi kukaJanuwari 2014 noDisemba 2019. Ucwaningo luthole ukuthi cishe u-70% wezifo adalwe amagciwane amathathu amagciwane. , i-Klebsiella pneumoniae, i-Acinetobacter baumannii, ne-Staphylococcus aureus, okungekho neyodwa yayo engavinjelwa ngemijovo kanye nengxenye enkulu yayo eyayingazweli emithi elwa namagciwane ngokuvamile esetshenziselwa ukwelapha izifo ezisanda kuzalwa.

Izinkinga zasesibhedlela i-Baragwanath zidalwa yizindaba ezihlelekile ezidinga ukulungiswa ezingeni likazwelonke lokuphatha futhi kufanele zibandakanye yonke iminyango ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthotshelwa komthetho. Ungqongqoshe usamile ekutheni uMnyango wezeMpilo usasebenzisa imithetho emisha yokunciphisa ukushona kwezingane esibhedlela iChris Hani. Asethembe ukuthi lokhu kuzoyeka ukwenzeka.

June 6, 2023 0 comments

Babies

Why are so many babies dying in our hospitals?

by Tsholofelo Masela May 29, 2023

written by Tsholofelo Masela

Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital has come under fire for medical negligence after it was horrifyingly discovered that infants died from avoidable incidents. We investigate what’s going on. By Tsholofela Masela

Health Minister Joe Phaahla has reported that 1824 infants died at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital between 2020 and 2022. The hospital recorded 564 infant deaths in 2020, 660 in 2021, and 600 in 2022.

The health minister wrote a report speaking on the negligence at Chris Hani Baragwanath as it is one of the biggest and busiest hospitals in the country. The report was a response to parliament, with specific questions below from EFF MP Naledi Chirwa;

What was the infant mortality rate at Chris Hani Baragwanath in each of the past three years?
The number of healthcare workers in the same department that has since been employed at the hospital
How many obstetrics ambulances had been procured to date for the hospital?
What plans were in place to ensure that infant mortality due to negligence and lack of healthcare professional personnel was avoided and reduced?
Targets the Department of Health had set regarding the infant deaths in 2023.
The number of the specified targets that had been achieved.

The questions above shine a light on why the World Health Organization would place Sub-Saharan Africa at the highest percentage of neonatal mortality rate in the world, at 43%. This statistic confirms that medical negligence and avoidable deaths are part of a failing public health system in need of rectification.

What is the Department of Health doing to fix the issues?

The guarantee of an infant’s survival begins with the care the mother receives at the beginning of the pregnancy through prenatal care, constant appointments and finally, delivery. However, according to Phaahla’s report, all this cannot be achieved if separate departments do not work together for the greater good. Hospitals do not have dedicated obstetrics ambulances, meaning that some expectant mothers will not make it on time to the hospital to give birth safely.

Phaahla further asserted that the provision of ambulances is the responsibility of Gauteng EMS and not of the hospital. However, Gauteng EMS is starting the Gauteng Scheduled Emergency Transport (G-SET) which is a scheduled transport system at high-call volume facilities like Chris Hani Hospital. The minister maintained that G-SET would be implemented in the new financial year, encouraged by improved response times, and increased opportunities to recruit more staff.

Plus, according to Phaahla, Baragwanath Hospital has an action plan which includes having monitoring and evaluation teams that monitor perinatal mortality data. The teams use the Perinatal Problem Identification Program (PPIP) to eliminate avoidable deaths.

Facility management must ensure that all delivery institutions discuss every death within seven days, report on PPIP, develop and follow up on implementation of Quality Improvement Plans (QIP). Junior staff must also be provided with technical support and onsite corrective measures.

What were the main causes of deaths?

Medical negligence has been attributed to overcrowding, understaffing, and poor hospital administration. Most Gauteng hospitals are experiencing overcrowding, but Baragwanath experiences disproportionate numbers of overcrowding because it caters to more than Gauteng residents due to size and expertise. These issues result in the mismatch between service demand and supply, and inefficient patient flow through hospital beds.

With limited resources, the minister believes that many public health facilities could perform better if it weren’t for inefficiency, poor management, neglect of duty due to poor supervision, and corruption.

While considering all the managerial and administrative failures, a study involving newborn babies also revealed a prevalence of infections caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria in South African hospitals. The study led by experts from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), observed that most infections occurred after day three of life and thus were probably acquired in hospital.

The study was conducted over six years to estimate the burden of culture confirmed neonatal bloodstream infections and meningitis in South Africa. It involved an analysis of blood and cerebrospinal fluid culture pathology records from newborn babies at 256 public-sector hospitals.

The study was the first national population level analysis of invasive newborn infections in the local public health sector involving babies younger than twenty-eight days admitted between January 2014 and December 2019. The study discovered that around 70% of cases were caused by three bacterial pathogens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococcus aureus, none of which can be prevented by vaccines and a large proportion of which were resistant to antibiotics usually used to treat neonatal infections.

The issues at Baragwanath hospital are caused by systemic issues that need to be rectified at a national administrative level and should involve all departments to ensure compliance. The minister has maintained that the Department of Health is implementing the new regulations to reduce infant deaths at Chris Hani Hospital. Let us hope that this stops happening altogether.

Survival tips for parents with babies in the NICU

May 29, 2023 0 comments

The shocking impact of SA’s absent fathers - Baby Yum Yum

Zulu

Umthelela oshaqisayo wobaba abangekho eNingizimu Afrika

by Tsholofelo Masela May 10, 2023

written by Tsholofelo Masela

Labo baba abangekho empilweni yezingane zabo kunemiphumela engemihle kukona kokubili ezingeni lomuntu ngayedwa Kanye nomphakathi ngobubanzi. Kanti eNingizimu Afrika, lena inking ebaluleke kakhulu. Ngokusho kuka Tsholofelo Masela.

Kuyiqinso ukuthi izingane ezingamaphesenti angama 70 eNingizimu Afrika ziphila ngaphandle kobaba bazo emakhaya. Umthelela womphakathi ngokungabi khona kobaba ubaluleke kakhulu futhi ubanzi. Iyiphi imiphumela enganakugwemeka yalokhu?

Izinselelo ezingokozwelo & nezokuziphatha

Izingane ezinobaba abangekho ezimpilweni zabo zibhekana nokuntula iziqondiso Kanye nokwesekwa ekwenzeni noma ekuthatheni iznqumo eziphusile Kanye nokuqonda ubudlelwano. Ukuxubeka kwemizwa Kanye nezinselelo zokuziphatha izona zinkinga eziyisisekelo ezibhekana nezingane ezingenabo obaba. ngokwesibonelo, Labantwana banamathuba amathuba amaningi okubanezinkinga zokungazethembi, ukucindezeleka, Kanye nokubanobunzima bokwakha ubudlelwano obunempilo.

Ukungabi khona komuntu owubaba kuholela ekutheni uzizwe ulahliwe kanti kubanomthelela wokuntengantenga kokukhua komqondo, ikakhulu kubafana abanganabo obaba. Esimweni samantombazane akhula engenabo obaba, maningi amathuba okuthi bazihlanganise nokuziphatha ngokocansi olwiyingozi bese beba semathubeni amakhulu okungena ezigamekweni zokukhulelwa kwezingane. Izinselelo zenhlalo nokuthuthuka nokukhula ngaphandle komuntu owubaba kobona bobabili abafana Kanye namantombazane ziningi.

Owesilisa okhona futhi onamandla unikezela ngezeluleko Kanye nangeziqondiso, okukhuphula amandla omntwana okukwazi ukwethemba Kanye nokwakha amandla abo okuxhumana kahle nabanye abantu. Ukungabi khona kukababa ekhaya kungagqugquzela ukuxebuka Kanye nokungabambisani nomphakathi,okungahle kubangele ukuntengantenga kokukhula kwengqondo.

Izingane zobaba abakade bengekho ezimpilweni zabo ngebhadi bayayiphnda iphethini yokulaxaza ezabo izingane noma ukuzala izingane kubudlelwano obehlukahlukene ngaphandle kokweseka okungaguquki. Lomjikelezo ungachaphazela izizukulwane nezizukulwane bese iholela ekutheni kubenokusabalala okukhulu komama abakhulisa izingane bodwa emakhaya.

Izinselelo zomama abakhulisa izingane bodwa

Omama abakhulisa bodwa abantwana babekezelela isibopho sokukhulisa abantwana bodwa, ngaphandle kokwesekwa noma ukubandakanyeka kobaba babo, banemizwa emikhulu, ezezimali Kanye nokucindezeleka ngokomzimba phezulu kwabo. Lokhu kwenza kubenezinselelo ukuhlangabezana nazo zonke izidingo zabantwana ngendlela efanele.

Ukukhathala, ukungasebenzi kahle kwemizwa kanti nakwezinye izimo, uphuzoludakayo Kanye nokusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa izona zinselelo zomama abakhulisa abantwana bodwa. lokhu kunjalo, kuchaphazela abantwana kabi labo, ukunokuba nomzali oyedwa osebenzayo, manje uphila neqiniso lomzali ongazinzile kahle engqondweni Kanye nomunye ongekho kwakuba khona.

Imiphumela yomphakathi

Imiphakathi enenani eliphezulu lobaba abangekho empilweni zabantwana babo kaningi bavame kubhekana nezinselelo zenhlalo Kanye nakwezomnotho. Ukuntuleka kwabantu abayizibonelo ezinhle Kanye nesakhiwo somndeni ozinzile kungaba nomthelela kwinani eliphezulu lobugebengu, ukungabinakuthula ekuhlaleni, Kanye nobudlelwano bomphakathi obunzima. Isakhiwo somndeni sinegalelo elikhulu endleleni abantwana abakhula ngayo ngokwemizwa Kanye nokuziphatha ngokwengqondo.

Abazali abakhulisa bodwa izingane akufanele kulindelwe ukuthi bahlinzeke ngazo zonke lezakhiwo ngaphandle kosizo. Lokhu kunegalelo elibi ekukhuleni kwabantwana labo abanabazali abangamile kahle ngokomzimba, ngokwemizwa Kanye nezezimali kodwa balindelwe ukuthi bahlinzeke ngazo zonke izinto ezifanele ukukhuliswa kwabantwana babo.

Ukubhekana nenkinga

Abantwana abakhule ngaphandle kwezibonelo ezinhle zabesilisa ezimpilweni zabo bakuthola kubanzima ukuzula umehluko wobulili ngenxa yokukhula kwabo njengoba kubaveze kwinhlobo yemizwa yabesifazane, ngokomzimba Kanye nokuziphatha ngokwengqondo. Ingakho izinhlelo ezinjengalezi abafana emadodeni zikhona lapho abafana abasebancane Kanye namadoda aseqinile esebenza ndawonye ukugcwalisela izinselelo ezikhulayo zasekuhlaleni ezibangelwa obaba abangekho empilweni zabantwana babo.

Ukubhekana nenkinga yobaba abangekho empilweni zabantwana babo kudinga indlela enezici eningi, njengokubandakanya uhlaka lokwesekwa kwabazali abakhulisa abantwana bodwa, izinhlelo zezemfundo ezigqugquzela ububaba obunomthwalo wemfanelo, Kanye nezinhlelo eziqonde ukuqeda umjikelezo wokungabi bikho kobaba. Ngokuhlinzeka ngezinsiza Kanye namathuba kobaba ukuthi bazibandakanye ezimpilweni zabantwana babo, singazama bese sinciphisa umthelela wobaba abangekho Kanye nokugqugquzela imindeni enempilo Kanye namandla omphakathi.

May 10, 2023 0 comments

Parenting Fatherhood

The shocking impact of SA’s absent fathers

by Tsholofelo Masela May 2, 2023

written by Tsholofelo Masela

The absence of fathers from children’s lives can have negative consequences on both the individual level and the broader society. And in South Africa, this is a significant problem. By Tsholofelo Masela

It is a fact that almost 70% of South African children live without a father in the household. The societal impact of absent fathers is significant and wide-ranging. What are the inevitable consequences of this?

Emotional & behavioural challenges

Children whose fathers are not present face a lack of guidance and support in making healthy choices and understanding relationships. A multitude of emotional and behavioral challenges are some of the fundamental issues faced by children without present fathers. For instance, these children are more likely to struggle with issues such as low self-esteem, depression, and have difficulties forming healthy relationships.

The absence of a father figure can lead to feelings of abandonment and contribute to psychological developmental stagnation, mostly in fatherless boys. In the case of girls growing up without a father’s presence, they’re far more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviour and have a higher incidence of teenage pregnancy. The social and developmental challenges of growing up without a father figure for both boys and girls are numerous.

Strong and present male figures offer support and guidance, increasing children’s abilities to form trust and build their capacity to interact positively with others. The absence of a father in a household can encourage detachment and anti-social tendencies, which may in turn cause psychological developmental stagnation.

Children of absent fathers may unfortunately repeat the pattern of abandoning their own children or fathering children in multiple relationships without consistent support. This cycle can have intergenerational effects and lead to a higher prevalence of single-mother households.

The challenges of single mothers

Single mothers who bear the responsibility of raising children alone, without the support and involvement of fathers, have great emotional, financial and physical strain upon them. This makes it very challenging to meet all the needs of their children effectively.

Fatigue, emotional dysregulation and even in some cases, alcoholism and drug abuse are some of the challenges of single mothers. This of course, negatively affects their children who, instead of having one functional parent, now live with the reality of an emotionally unstable parent and an absent one.

Read our Single Parent’s Survival Guide here

Community consequences

Communities with high rates of father absence often experience social and economic challenges. The lack of positive role models and stable family structures can contribute to higher crime rates, social unrest, and strained community relationships. Family structures contribute greatly to the way children develop their emotional and cognitive behaviours.

Single parents cannot be expected to provide all of those structures without help. This contributes negatively to the development of children who have physically, emotionally and financially strained single parents who are expected to provide all that is necessary for the developmental rearing of children.

Addressing the issue

Children who grow up without positive male role models in their lives find it difficult to navigate gender differences because their upbringing only exposes them to the range of female emotional, physical and psychological behaviours. This is why programmes like Boys to Men exist where young boys and men work together to fulfill the social and developmental challenges caused by absent fathers.

Addressing the issue of absent fathers requires a multi-faceted approach, involving support systems for single parents, educational programs promoting responsible fatherhood, and initiatives aimed at breaking the cycle of father absence. By providing resources and opportunities for fathers to be actively involved in their children’s lives, we can try and mitigate the societal impact of absent fathers and promote healthier family and community dynamics.