Johannesburg - A team of health experts have found that a highly virulent outbreak of gastroenteritis was the cause of death of six babies at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital earlier this year.
Six babies died at the hospital on 18 and 19 May after contracting diarrhea.
Following the incident, Gauteng Health and Social Development MEC Qedani Mahlangu appointed an independent team of experts to establish the reasons behind the babies' deaths.
The report, presented by Mahlangu on Wednesday, showed that invasive Klebsiela infection and HIV exposure did not contribute to the babies' deaths. It also revealed that all babies were high-risk cases with a birth weight of less than 1.5 kg although most of them seemed to be progressing well.
Mahlangu said the department therefore had no basis to fire or discipline any staff members as, according to the report, no individual cases seemed to show any specific negligent medical care.
"Records kept by medical and nursing staff were excellent," the report said.
Head of Paediatrics at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Professor Keith Bolton, who was part of the investigation team, said that the virus was spread through hands, food and water.
He, however, noted that such cases were uncommon and that no new cases had been reported since the incident. "I've never seen a case of babies dying of gastroenteritis, this thing came like wild fire and disappeared quickly," said Professor Bolton.
The report outlined certain deficiencies at the hospital including overcrowding in the neonatal ward and lack of routine suppliers.
Mahlangu said the department had taken a decision that all hospital CEOs should procure infection control equipment without going through the usual procurement route via the Gauteng Shared Service Centre to speed up the process.
"This will make the procurement of infection control equipment quick and save lives," said Mahlangu.
In a further bid to beef up infection control measures, infection control nurses were being empowered to intervene and enforce infection control measures such as the regular washing of hands.
"The number of students trained in advanced midwifery, critical and neonatal care will be increased by 100 annually from this year in an effort to improve our capacity," Mahlangu said, adding that the department was determined to achieve a norm of one nurse to five babies in neonatal units.
She added that the new ward, where the babies have been moved to since the incident, had enough space between the cribs and basins had been placed closer to the door so that people visiting and working in the ward could wash their hands.
