Central SA
MUCPP delivers 4 babies despite Bloemfontein power outage─── KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 11:42 Tue, 21 Mar 2023
Nurses at the Mangaung University of the Free State Community Partnership Project (MUCPP) healthcare facility in Bloemfontein successfully delivered four babies during the night, despite a power outage that affected the city.
According to the spokesperson of the Free State Department of Health, Mondli Mvambi, the clinic was powered by a generator throughout the night after the Free State capital was left in darkness due to a power outage on Monday.
ALSO READ: Parts of Bloemfontein still without power
Mvambi says that about 19:50 on Monday, 20 March 2023, a baby girl weighing 3,1 kg was born and at 22:47 another baby girl, weighing 3,3 kg was born. Before sunrise on Tuesday, 21 March 2023, two baby boys made their announcement, the first at 05:26 weighing 2,8 kg and the other at 05:50 weighing 3,3 kg.
"MUCPP is a 24-hour clinic with a maternity ward that ran on generator power overnight. It delivered four healthy babies despite the challenges. Electricity is not yet back, and they just had to replenish diesel," Mvambi said.
He adds that Free State MEC for Health, Mathabo Leeto, expressed her heartfelt appreciation to the midwives who never abandoned their highest calling of safely delivering life even under the most challenging conditions.
Mvambi says electricity was restored around midnight in most health facilities. Universitas, the psychiatric and National District hospitals had power just after midnight, while Pelonomi hospital and the Batho clinic got their power back around 03:00.
