Mbabane – The Ministry of Health reported that fifty-nine newborns, the majority of them being boys, were born within 24 hours on Christmas Day in at least 20 health institutions across Eswatini.
According to the ministry’s communications officer, Nsindiso Tsabedze, the Good Shepherd Hospital in Siteki, Lubombo area, took the lead with 15 babies born between 00:00 and 24:00 hrs on December 25. Nine of these were male, and six were female.
It was followed by the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital in Manzini which recorded 14 newborn babies with both sexes split in half.
The Mbabane Government Hospital recorded seven births, with four females and three males. According to media reports, triplets and twins were born there by two different mothers.
The Hlathikulu Government Hospital, Mankayane Government Hospital, and Dvokolwako Health Centre recorded four births each, with eight boys out of 12. The Piggs Peak Government Hospital also recorded seven babies, four boys and three girls.
Overall, male babies were 31 while females were 28. Only 11 of the 20 health facilities recorded births, with four places—Nhlangano Health Centre, Sithobela Health Centre, Matsanjeni Health Centre and The Luke Commission (TLC)—recording one birth each.
The Mkhuzweni Health Centre, St. Theresa Clinic, and the Zondwako Clinic maternity wards did not record any births within the government health centres.
They add on to seven private hospitals: Women and Children, Mbabane Clinic, Clinics Group Manzini, Philani, Medsun Hospital, Mkhiwa Clinic, and the Ezulwini Private Hospital (EPH), which also did not record any births, the Ministry of Health said.
| Name of Facility | Females | Males | Total Number of babies |
| Mbabane Gov. Hospital | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| RFM Hospital | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Hlathikulu Gov. Hospital | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Mankayane Gov. Hospital | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Good Shepherd Hospital | 6 | 9 | 15 |
| Piggs Peak Gov. Hospital | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Nhlangano Health Centre | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Sithobela Health Centre | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Matsanjeni Health Centre | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Dvokolwako Health Centre | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Mkhuzweni Health Centres | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TLC | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| St Theresa Clinic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zondwako Clinic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Private hospitals ( Women and Children, Mbabane Clinic, Clinics Grp Manzini, Philani, Medsun hospital, Mkhiwa Clinic, EPH) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 28 | 31 | 59 |
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