A KwaZulu-Natal father told the Durban High Court on Wednesday that his three-year-old daughter should not receive lifesaving blood as "it is not in the Bible".

The man is among three sets of Jehovah's Witness parents who have been taken to court by the KwaZulu-Natal health department to obtain an order for doctors to administer lifesaving blood transfusions to their chronically ill children.

"I am against it and so is my wife. It is against my religion‚" the man told the court.

Jehovah's Witnesses are forbidden from receiving blood transfusions or blood products.

The father told the court that he understood that an interim order had been granted to allow his daughter‚ who has sickle cell anaemia‚ to receive blood - but that he‚ however‚ planned to fight it.

Last month‚ KwaZulu-Natal MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo and Addington Hospital specialist paediatrician Dr Noxolo Mbadi went to court for an order to allow a five-year-old boy‚ also suffering with sickle cell anaemia‚ to receive blood transfusions as and when necessary.

Since then‚ two more Jehovah's Witness families were taken to court‚ where the three matters were joined. The case was adjourned to December 5.