The National Health Insurance (NHI) initiative will leave little distinction in service and quality between public and private hospitals once implemented, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has declared.

“We are starting a new decade in which we will be instituting decisive actions in the implementation of NHI. When it is fully implemented, there will be no distinction between public and private hospitals. We believe that, incrementally, we are going to be seeing changes and improvements in the quality of healthcare,” Mkhize said.

Mkhize made the comments on Wednesday during a visit to the post-natal ward at King Dinuzulu Hospital, to welcome the first babies of the new decade.He said that 81.3% of Durban’s population did not have access to private medical aid, but stood to benefit from the NHI.

“They will receive quality healthcare from facilities like King Dinuzulu Hospital, which earned a MEC’s excellence award for a significant reduction in maternal deaths; an increase in safe caesarean sections; good quality neonatal care; and the commissioning of a specialised Kangaroo Mother Care ward.”

New Year’s babies

Gauteng MEC for Health Dr Bandile Masuku congratulated the new mothers.

“Let me extend my appreciation to Gauteng Department of Health workforce for working tirelessly throughout the year in ensuring that service delivery is not interrupted. Your hard work has not gone unnoticed, let us continue saving lives,” concluded Masuku.

In KwaZulu-Natal, 66 babies made an entrance into the world on New Year’s Day –  34 boys and 32 girls.

The province’s first baby was born at midnight at Ladysmith Hospital.

he province’s first baby was born at Mowbray Maternity hospital to Zahraah Abrahams. At 00:31 another baby boy was born at Paarl hospital to Noluyeye Plati while a baby girl was born at 00:16 at Worcester Community Day Centre to Mellody Bhulawa.

“I would like to congratulate all new parents on the birth of their babies on this New Year’s Day. We wish them the very best with new additions to their families. We continue to emphasize that the first 1000 days of a child’s life is very important. Provide them with a safe environment and good nutrition,” said Western Cape Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo in a statement.

– Compiled Vanessa Banton

National Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala, acting Health MEC Kwazi Mshengu and eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda visited some of the new mothers at King Dinuzulu Hospital in Durban, where they handed out gifts.

t was a busy New Year’s Day at Gauteng healthcare facilities, as 213 babies were delivered between midnight and 12:00 on January 1.

“Tertiary, Regional and District hospitals delivered 118 babies combined and Community Health Centres 56 babies. Academic hospitals delivered 39 babies. From Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital 25 babies were born,” Kwara Kekana, spokesperson for the Gauteng Health MEC said in a statement on Wednesday.

Of the 213 babies, 118 were girls while 95 were boys.

A 75-year-old Johannesburg woman and her son had to run for their lives with their pets out of their house on Wednesday morning to escape a devastating fire suspected to have been caused by stray new year fireworks.

“I have never felt so tired,” Christina Upton told News24 after she and her son Laurence made it out alive with their pets as their home in Central Avenue, Jacanlee, went up in flames.

All Christina remembers is Lawrence shouting at her: “Get up! Mom please get up.”

She says that she felt so foggy, not fully comprehending what was happening.

Intense heat

Neighbour Thys Koekemoer said that Lawrence was woken up by the sensation of intense heat, and the smell of something burning. He grabbed his wallet and his laptop and ran to his mother’s room to get her out of the house.

It is suspected that fireworks landed on the property from revellers in a nearby suburb who had been setting off fireworks into the early hours of the morning.

A small fire may have started in the garden as a result of the fireworks landing there, and this may have set off an explosion of a gas cylinder.

Christina was not responding immediately to her son.

“He shouted at me: ‘Wake up! The bloody house is on fire’.”

They got outside to safety but their ordeal was not over yet.

She said the emergency services numbers they called incredulously went to voicemail.

“It was disgusting.”

She said she also phoned the Vodacom 112 number and could not get through so she raced to a fire brigade in Randburg.

She raced over in her car to a fire station in Randburg and was told they do not have a fire engine.

She then sped to the next one in Roosevelt Park.

However, she was told that she would have to wait for half an hour for the fire truck to warm up “because it’s brakes won’t work otherwise”.

Watching helplessly

They eventually followed her to the house.

She said when they arrived she had to watch helplessly while they started putting on their boots and their fire gear which she feels they could have done while waiting for the truck to warm up.

“It was like a bloody movie circus.”

By the time the fire was put out, the house was in ruins.

“I have never seen a fridge crumble,” she said.