South Africa: Report on investigation into infant deaths at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital released

Social justice group SECTION27 has welcomed the release of a report on the investigation into the tragic deaths of six infants on 18 May 2010 at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg. The report raised serious concerns about the extent to which the Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development adheres to norms and standards related to human resources, and the consequent overcrowding in public health facilities in the province. The expert medical panel that conducted the investigation found that the neonatal unit at the Hospital 'ha[d] been under severe pressure for a long time'.