The Gauteng health department today washed its hands off the deaths of six premature babies in hospital, saying there had been “no specific acts of negligence”, despite identifying bad sanitation as a contributing factor.
“Babies were infected by the norovirus, a relatively common gastrointestinal virus that is spread by contaminated hands, water or food,” health MEC Qedani Mahlangu told reporters in Johannesburg.
“The response of the hospital... was found to have been adequate. No specific acts of negligence in relation to the care and treatment of individual patients were identified.”
Mahlangu was presenting a report into the cause of the deaths of six premature babies at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg in May.
Baby deaths not our fault - Government
The Gauteng health department today washed its hands off the deaths of six premature babies in hospital, saying there had been “no specific acts of negligence”, despite identifying bad sanitation as a contributing factor.
“Babies were infected by the norovirus, a relatively common gastrointestinal virus that is spread by contaminated hands, water or food,” health MEC Qedani Mahlangu told reporters in Johannesburg.
“The response of the hospital... was found to have been adequate. No specific acts of negligence in relation to the care and treatment of individual patients were identified.”
Mahlangu was presenting a report into the cause of the deaths of six premature babies at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg in May.