World Prematurity Day 2015: Celebrating the successes of Seshego Hospital, Limpopo
SESHEGO HOSPITAL GOING OVER AND ABOVE THE CALL OF DUTY!
On 17th November 2015 the LINC team joined hands with Seshego Hospital, one of the District Hospitals in Capricorn District of Limpopo, to commemorate World Prematurity Day and celebrate the survival and development of their premature babies.
World Prematurity Day is observed on 17 November each year to raise awareness about preterm birth and the concerns of preterm babies and their families globally. It is estimated that 15 million babies are born preterm each year, accounting for about one in 10 of all babies born worldwide. Seshego Hospital celebrated the day by showcasing a long term initiative that they have embarked upon to improve care for premature babies and create community awareness about Kangaroo Mother Care and the importance of long-term follow-up of these babies.
The event was supported by stakeholders 
such as Polokwane Municipality, traditional leaders and traditional health practitioners, executive members from district hospitals in Capricorn district, KMC ambassadors, district clinical specialist (DCST), the business sector, and provincial representatives from maternal, child and women’s directorate.
The special guests of the day that were being celebrated were the mothers and their premature babies, from within the hospital and community, who came out in numbers. The day was both informative in terms of sharing valuable information about the care of newborns, but it also provided entertainment such as a Q&A where beautiful LINC KMC wraps were given to mothers that provided correct answers.
All mothers were encouraged to KMC their little once throughout the event, with LINC staff on hand to teach mothers the correct way to KMC. All mothers from the hospital ward were given wraps to use and take home.
The speakers of the day ranged from the CEO of the host hospital, provincial paediatrician and provincial neonatal coordinator, the two latter both being LINC members.
The keynote address, delivered by Dr Anne Robertson the provincial paediatrician and LINC project lead, motivated mothers to be activists for their newborns and to play an active role in the care and development of their babies.
Sr Mothapo, the energetic and highly dedicated neonatal nurse for Seshego hospital, shared the innovative initiative that they are implementing, to follow-up mothers and their babies. The
multidisciplinary team which includes the allied workers (e.g. occupational therapists, speech therapist and audiologists, social workers, dieticians and optometrists) identify mothers in the communities that have premature babies that are discharged, and provide them with skills to make easy and cost effective developmental toys that they should use to stimulate their premature babies. LINC, through funding from Elma Philanthropies, provided the material for the developmental toys.
LINC congratulates the Seshego Hospital Multidisciplinary Team for being nominated for the Premier’s excellence award for the initiative to follow-up mothers and their premature babies in the community. Our fingers are crossed!
A long day for the little special guests, but ended as jubilant and filled with hope as it had started. Long live premies long live!!!