THE nursing manager at the Mahikeng Provincial Hospital in the North West has been suspended.
This comes after Mzansi was up in arms when photos of newborn babies in the neonatal section, who were placed in boxes instead of incubators or cribs, started doing the rounds.
Daily Sun published the story on 26 May.
Following the incident, the North West Department of Health launched an investigation and subsequently placed the manager on suspension.
According to the department, the manager had failed to report that the section had to place newborns in the boxes due to a lack of resources at the hospital.
Meanwhile, Health MEC Madoda Sambatha has apologised to the families of the babies.
"I should first apologise to the babies for the humiliation they were subjected to by people who were delivering them," said Sambatha.
He also apologised that people took photos of them and circulated them.
"Thirdly, I apologise to the families of those babies," he said.
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He said a total of 18 incubators were delivered when the the photos went viral. He said on the said day, 56 babies were delivered in the ward, but only 16 incubators and 31 cribs were available.
"Forty-seven babies had been placed in accordance with proper prescribed procedures, and nine babies had no proper incubator or crib. Four babies were placed in cardboard boxes and others put as two in each crib,” He said
People took to Facebook to voice their anger.
RapJunkie RapJunkie wrote on Facebook: "Some People Are So Heartless. What kind of people are they?"
Moses Molekane wrote: "What a disgrace - the whole provincial hospital. The capital town nogal. ANC finished this country."
