The Eastern Cape welcomed a total of 240 babies on Christmas Day, with the first bundles of joy delivered at 12.12 am at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha and Settlers Hospital in Makhanda.
Health MEC, Nomakosazana Meth said this was an increase of nine babies over last year.
“Of the 240 babies, 129 are girls and 111 are boys,” she said, with the most deliveries on Christmas Day in the OR Tambo District at 64 babies.
MEC Meth said she visited Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital on Saturday where she distributed care packs to the moms as well as toys for the children in the hospital’s paediatric ward.
“We have been blessed to have so many bundles of joy being born on such a special day. The birth of any child is always a blessing so we are happy with the arrival of the little ones.
“After the year we had because of COVID-19, having so many babies born is just the joy and happiness we do desperately needed,” she said.
Meanwhile, MEC Meth reiterated the call for people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
She said as of Friday over 2.3 million people in the Eastern Cape had registered for the jab, with over 1.7 million fully vaccinated.
