Broken operating theatres, load shedding blamed for spike in surgery backlog at Sebokeng Hospital
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Crumbling infrastructure has been blamed for a spike in the surgery backlog at Sebokeng Hospital. Picture: Independent Newspapers
Johannesburg - There are about 3 029 patients waiting for surgery at Sebokeng Hospital in Emfuleni.
Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, in response to questions tabled in the Gauteng provincial legislature by the DA’s Jack Bloom, revealed that 2 250 cataract patients had waited for nine months for surgery, 544 patients had waited three years for hip and knee-joint surgery, 133 urology patients had waited for nine months for treatment, and 52 orthopaedics patients had waited for two months for medical attention.
“The operational state of the theatres is described as ‘preposterous’, with algae growing on peeling walls. Infection risk is increased because of broken chillers to keep the heat down, and broken autoclaves which are used to sterilise instruments. Other challenges are dysfunctional theatre lights and linen shortages,” Bloom said.
He added that, in addition to poor maintenance, there were 48 vacancies in the surgical department, including 26 nursing posts, four medical officer posts, and four cleaner and four porter posts. The department is also short of one anaesthetist and one specialist surgeon.
Bloom said that, as with other hospitals, the poor maintenance was due to the “hopelessly incompetent” Gauteng Infrastructure Development Department.
“It’s absolutely inhumane that patients suffer long waiting times, and surgeons have to do the best they can in poor working conditions. Bad management is also to blame. It should be easy to hire cleaners and porters, as there are plenty of applicants for these jobs,” he said.
Bloom said Sebokeng was a mid-size hospital that should be capacitated to do its own maintenance. In addition, staff vacancies should be filled. Backlogs could be cut by paying private hospitals to do surgery for public patients.
“It is important that there is early intervention to prevent surgery waiting lists from ballooning to unacceptable levels,” he said.
The Star