Madam Speaker, diarrhoea used to be a deadly disease across the world, but in the 1970s it was discovered that a simple rehydration mixture containing water, salt and sugar saved the lives of most babies infected.
Yet, over the past few weeks, 125 babies in the Eastern Cape have died because of not being given the simple mixture of water, salt and sugar. At the same time, this provincial government placed an advert in this month's Sawubona magazine, claiming that life in the province today is better than it was yesterday. The cost of the rehydration formula that would have saved these babies' lives would not have amounted to a thousandth of the cost of placing this advert.
There is a culture of self-satisfaction that prevails in many parts of this country which ensures that, on the one hand, no expense is spared in printing glossy promotional material in elite magazines and holding grand parties while, on the other hand, babies are allowed to die from conditions that should not, in all honesty, be deadly anymore, given our country's sophisticated health infrastructure.
The death of these babies is just the latest in a long series of failures on the part of this department, and this particular administration is without a doubt a dismal failure. It cannot be allowed to continue like this. This department has brought about the situation where the province's health system is in a state of collapse. The latest health barometer shows that the Eastern Cape has the highest perinatal mortality rate in the country. Last year, while mother-to-child HIV transmission prevention programmes have been expanded across the rest of the country, in the Eastern Cape, the availability of this service shrank by 10%.
Last year, the province was the subject of yet another scandal when figures were released showing an unacceptable high rate of baby deaths at Frere hospital, and every year, the department's annual report shows an administration in a state of chaos. The DA calls on the Eastern Cape department of health to be placed under administration. I thank you. [Applause.]