Announcing the birth of 127 babies on New Year’s Day, Sambatha said the province’s health department intends to strengthen its mother and child services to eradicate maternal and infant mortality.

“Welcoming a newborn signals a blessing and that is why I wish to send my congratulations to all the mothers, and our nurses and doctors who delivered them. As the MEC, I am more pleased that we did not record any incidents of maternal and infant mortality. All the mothers and their babies are in good health,” he said.

 
Sambatha encouraged all pregnant women to report early to the antenatal clinics which prepare women for safe pregnancy and delivery.

He also alerted the mothers to use the Home Affairs facilities inside the hospitals to register their babies for birth certificates.n the early hours of the new year there were 36 newborns but the number almost quadrupled by the end of the day.

Sambatha was at Klerksdorp Hospital to interact with mothers and welcomed the newborns. He donated 50 gifts to the mothers and their babies at Klerksdorp Hospital.

All four districts in the province contributed to the total of 127 births. Bojanala District led with a total of 45 (28 boys and 17 girls) newborns, followed by Dr Kenneth Kaunda District with 31 (14 boys and 17 girls), Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District with 27 (19 boys and eight girls) and Ngaka Modiri Molema District with 24 (15 boys and nine girls).