Doctors at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo have called for urgent improvements in child safety, warning that newborns and young children remain at high risk from infections, malnutrition and unsafe environments.
Speaking during Patient Safety Day on Wednesday, Consultant Paediatrician Dr Wedu Ndebele said hygiene and innovation were critical in reducing preventable deaths among newborns.
“One of the top three causes of death in the neonatal unit is infection, and the biggest impact we can make is ensuring that hands are washed before entering the unit or handling medication,” Dr Ndebele said.
Neonatal refers to the first 28 days of a newborn baby’s life, a crucial period for rapid physical, emotional, and developmental changes, as well as the highest risk of death.
He urged both medical staff and the wider community to adopt new approaches to child safety.
“It’s all up to us to innovate. Even if you are not in the medical field, you can think of safer strategies. For example, if I can see my patient without touching them, that makes them safer because hands are not always clean until they are washed or sanitised,” he added.
Dr Ndebele also highlighted the role of parents, stressing the importance of educating mothers on child care beyond the hospital.
“It is us who are supposed to educate the mother on how to keep the child in good health. Safety is not only in the hospital but also at home and in the environment where they live,” he said.
Turning to poverty and malnutrition, he said children’s safety is also undermined by poor living conditions. “Poverty results in malnutrition, which undercuts 50 percent of all deaths in children,” he warned.
The paediatrician emphasised the need to restore Mpilo’s past reputation as a “baby-friendly hospital,” saying breastfeeding and skin-to-skin care were simple, cost-effective interventions that save lives.
“Breastfeeding reduces mortality from every cause. It costs nothing as long as the mother is alive. Yet today, Mpilo would fail baby-friendly standards because mothers are not being supported to breastfeed within 30 minutes of birth,” Dr Ndebele said.
He added that skin-to-skin care, also known as kangaroo care, was an affordable intervention that improves babies’ growth, breathing and heart function, while also strengthening the bond between parent and child.
“Right now, I can point to a baby in the ward who is dehydrated simply because the mother was not taught how to breastfeed,” he said.
Support CITE’s fearless, independent journalism. Your donation helps us amplify community voices, fight misinformation, and hold power to account. Help keep the truth alive. Donate today