XMAS BABIES GET GIFTS FROM MINISTER

HLATIKHULU – Four of the babies born on Christmas Day received gifts from Minister of Health Sibongile Simelane.

Proud parents, who celebrated both their children’s birthdays and Christmas, received the gifts of blankets and disposable nappies.
The Minister of Health put her best impression of Santa when she showered about 20 children, inclusive of the Christmas babies, with gifts when she made a surprise visit to the Maternity Ward of the Hlatikhulu Government Hospital on Wednesday.
The gifts cost the minister about E1 080.

She said she had paid a visit to the hospital as a way of reinforcing on government policies touching on infant mortality and mothers who die during child birth.
During her visit, the minister would ask the mothers on family planning and the involvement of their male partners in their pregnancies.
“I was impressed because most of them told me they knew their HIV statuses, but all said the fathers were away at work. So, they did not follow during the period of their expectation. “I was a bit disappointed on that aspect hence I suggested that they utilise weekends,” she said.

When the minister paid a visit to the Maternity Ward on Wednesday morning, only four babies had been born at the time.
Eight others, were, however, born later on in the day after the minister’s visit, bringing the total number of babies born in Hlatikhulu to 12.
The first baby was born to a teenager who had to drop out of school after conceiving.

The baby girl who weighed 2.9 kg was born at 3am. The delighted teenage mother told the minister that she would go back to school next academic year to complete her studies.
The second baby to be born was a bouncing baby boy weighing 3.4 kg, Prince Kunene, who was born at 5:30am. Thembisile Fakudze (29) of Mehlwabovu said she named him Prince because of the significance of his birthday.

Another proud mother, Tjengisile Gina from Mlindazwe in Lavumisa, received her Christmas baby at 10am. The baby was christened Okwakhe Myeni who weighed 3.6 kg.
Meanwhile Siphosethu Shongwe, who weighed 3.25 kg, was born 30 minutes later, and was received by an elated Ntombifuthi Mabuza of Mashobeni South.
Details of the eight babies were not readily available at the time of going to press.

At the Nhlangano Health Centre only one birth was reported on Christmas Day.
The baby boy who was born at 3:10am weighed 3.15 kg. His mother was discharged yesterday.

‘SCHOOL LEAVER’ NOW A PROUD MOTHER

HLATIKHULU – A pupil who left school as a result of pregnancy is among proud mothers of Christmas Day.
The teenager who left school early this year was thrilled to discover that her baby was the very first baby born on Christmas Day at the Hlatikhulu Government Hospital.

She was attending school in one of the high schools in Nhlangano, where she was doing Form IV.
“It was fantastic, but I would have been much happier if I had given birth to a boy,” she told visiting Santa – the Minister of Health Sibongile Simelane.
Her baby was born at 3am, and it took about two hours for the next one to follow.

The delighted teenage mother said she would be relieved if she could go back to school next academic year.
She expressed her eagerness to complete her studies when talking to the Minister of Health who had paid a visit to the hospital to reinforce on government’s policies geared at eradicating infant mortality and the rate of mothers who die during delivery, among others.
Quizzed by the minister if she did not consider to take one year off in order to raise the baby properly; which includes breastfeeding her, she said she would also consider the advice.

The teenager was among mothers who received gifts on behalf of their babies from the minister.
She was grateful to the minister for the Christmas present.

In an interview later with the minister, she noted with concern the challenge ahead of society concerning the high rate of teenage pregnancies in the country.
She put the onus on every guardian to consider capacitating the youth on life skills to cope with challenges around their sexual reproductive health.
“We are doing well as a ministry in this regard but it would not be wise to bury our heads in the sand, and pretend all was well when teenagers continue falling pregnant.

“Perhaps while we continue to channel our children on one particular path, we should also consider giving them a full package where options would be considered whenever they are faced with a risky situation,” she said.

The minister said society should not fool itself into believing that school-going pupils do not have feelings.
“They have feelings too, but parents should be honest and tell them about the consequences of engaging in sex.
“A child should know that there is pregnancy, and the possibility of contracting HIV,” she said.
 

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