Note to editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Dr Jack Bloom.
Accurate information and record-keeping are essential in combating malnutrition, with cases picked up early so that targeted food interventions can be made in good time.
This is one of the findings of a Democratic Alliance (DA) delegation that visited the Weilers Farm Clinic in South Johannesburg to check on 190 severe malnutrition cases for children under five years, as given in an official reply by the Gauteng Health Department to DA questions in the Legislature.
The delegation included:
- Dr Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC
- Refiloe Nt’sekhe MPL, DA Gauteng Shadow Social Development MEC
- Bridget Masango MP, DA Deputy Spokesperson on Social Development
- Darren Bergman MP, DA Orange Farm Constituency Head
- Cllr Shakes Chabalala, DA City of Johannesburg Councillor
- Cllr Nonhlanhla Sifumba, DA City of Johannesburg Councillor
We were surprised when clinic managers informed us that the figure of 189 severe malnutrition cases was a clerical error – this was actually the number of Vitamin A doses given to children. The accurate figure for the past year is one moderate malnutrition case and one severe malnutrition case.
They said they monitor children under two years old by checking on the baby’s weight. Community Health Workers play an important role as part of the Ward-Based Outreach Team (WBOT). They encourage breastfeeding and provide nutrition supplements where needed. In the case of the one severely nourished child, the child was referred to a doctor at Lenasia South Hospital.
We are concerned they have only one baby scale to weigh babies as the others are broken, but they need four to help with the workload. It is surely not difficult to provide such simple vitally needed equipment. The DA will assist this clinic to get more baby scales.
Record-keeping is another problem as it is paper-based and difficult to access. We were dismayed by crowded filing carboards which make file retrieval difficult.
The broader problem is undernutrition, and the DA will push for education and better distribution of food parcels so that no child is stunted by poor nutrition. Four more dietitians are needed in Johannesburg’s Region G which currently has only two dietitians.
It is most disturbing that children are going hungry while food is rotting in dumped regional food banks. During our oversight inspection at the Ekurhuleni food bank earlier this month, we discovered that the nonprofit organisation (NPO) at this bank had been defunded and ordered to vacate the premises. To our surprise, the food bank was still full of food that was starting to rot.
Social Development MEC Faith Mazibuko should hang her head in shame for creating an avoidable crisis by centralising food bank operations. Food is wasted due to poor leadership in the provincial government.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would computerise files and data collection and decentralise food parcel distribution and ensure that the poor and vulnerable have easy access to food.