As a way to reduce the backlog of patients waiting for operations, the Mpumalanga Department of Health has launched an orthopaedic marathon in regional and tertiary hospital.
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The MEC for health, Sasekani Manzini, initiated this programme at Themba Hospital on Monday May 8.
Manzini said in Mpumalanga, there are five hospitals where these orthopaedic surgeries occur: Witbank, Rob Ferreira, Mapulaneng, Ermelo and Themba.
According to her, there is currently a backlog of 431 surgeries.
“We can confirm that by May 26, we will be done with the first round of the marathon at these hospitals. And on May 31, we should have completed with round two, which consists of Witbank and Ermelo. What we are doing is putting together specialists who target one hospital at a time to deal with the backlog. By May 31, we should be able to safely say the province does not have a backlog.”
Manzini said as a rural province, it is very difficult to attract specialists, thus the backlog.
“We said let’s prioritise and come up with this marathon. We are just starting with this one, others will soon follow. We will make sure that we bring the specialists we do have in Mpumalanga together. The programme we are launching regarding these different marathons will assist our people, because you cannot live a healthy life while you are awaiting an appointment for an operation. We want to create a spirit of working together; there is no Themba, there’s no Witbank, there is one province.”
Manzini said what she is currently witnessing from the hospital CEOs makes her happy.
“Their spirit to work together on its own will go a long way. Each and every employee of this province belongs to the people of Mpumalanga, irrespective of where you are.”
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Manzini said the reason why it is difficult to attract orthopaedic surgeons to the province is because it is a rural one.
“They do not want to come to Mpumalanga and work here, because we do not have a university; they want to do their research as doctors. When they work in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, they meet with other specialists, share notes and it becomes easy for them. We are continuously trying to attract them. Someone rejected an appointment in Ermelo because there is no McDonald’s, saying their kids love it. People care about small things that you might think are not important. When we say it is difficult, it goes as far as one small thing that you cannot even think of. You think that as long as there is a nursing home, that’s what they prioritise. Over and above, they look at where is a place to watch movies, where their kids can go, because they have families. It means we must work together. Municipalities and private sectors affect us in terms of making sure that we provide quality healthcare services.”
Before launching the marathon, Manzini visited the Transnet’s Phelophepa Train that is visiting the city.
She said, “As the Department of Health in Mpumalanga, we would like to thank Transnet in terms of this programme that they bring to the province, not only here in Mbombela’s CBD, but to different health stations in Mpumalanga. This will assist us with dental services, oral hygiene and other general health services. We want everyone to know their health status, especially elderly people.”
