DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC Jack Bloom raised concerns about the shortage of equipment at the Charlotte Maxeke Gastro Clinic in Parktown.
He said that hundreds of stomach investigations are not being done at the clinic because there is only one working endoscope.
“When I first raised this in March this year, the Gauteng Health Department denied the problem and said that the endoscopes had been sent for repairs and patients were referred to the Helen Joseph facility for procedures,” said Bloom.
Bloom said that he visited the Gastro Clinic on 4 May and found that only one endoscope was in use as those sent for repairs had not come back and an endoscope borrowed from the Helen Joseph Hospital had broken after two weeks.
He also said that only about five stomach examinations are done each day instead of the 15 to 18 daily examinations done previously with endoscopes. “More than 200 patients a month are not getting colonoscopies and gastroscopies that are needed to diagnose possible cancer or other serious illnesses,” said Bloom.
Bloom claims that part of the problem is that unpaid companies are refusing to repair or replace equipment at the Gastro Clinic and that the staff are in despair as they have to tell patients to wait many months for a stomach examination.
He said that he has received complaints from other patients about cancelled appointments and delayed examinations. “The Gauteng Health Department should stop denying the equipment crisis at the Gastro Clinic and intervene urgently to ensure that there are enough endoscopes,” he concluded.
The Gauteng Department of Health spokesperson Steve Mabona said, “It’s true that the hospital experienced a challenge on colonoscopy services rendered from the beginning of February this year.” He said that there was one functioning gastro-scope in the hospital, which was being used mostly for emergency cases. “The machines have since been repaired, we therefore don’t anticipate challenges moving forward,” said Mabona.
He concluded that patients were notified and re-booked, while some were referred to Helen Joseph Tertiary Hospital.
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