Joburg’s Charlotte Maxeke Hospital defers 1 413 operations
Gauteng Health Department MEC Bandile Masuku said however that most cancer and paediatric surgeries were continuing, with only a few procedures deferred.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng says it is growing increasingly concerned at the number of operations which have been cancelled or deferred at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, one of the busiest in the province.
Some 1 413 operations have been deferred at the hospital since 27 March due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. The DA’s Gauteng Shadow Health MEC and Member of the Provincial Legislature Jack Bloom said this was worrying. “It is of great concern that so many operations have been cancelled, as this causes anxiety and suffering to patients, many of whom have been waiting a long time for surgery. It will add to the existing surgery waiting list of 1 850 patients at this hospital.”
Surgeries either cancelled or postponed include:
• Ophthalmology – 499
• Gastrointestinal endoscopy (gastroscopy, colonoscopy, ERCP) – 420
• Orthopaedics – 183
• Paediatric surgery – 47
• Maxillofacial surgery – 33
• Cardiothoracic surgery – 32
• Urology – 32
• Breast – 30
• Vascular surgery – 28
• Urology endoscopy – 23
• Surgical gastroenterology – 22
• Neurosurgery – 22
• Other – 42
Total – 1413
In a statement released by the Gauteng Health Department, MEC Bandile Masuku said certain measures had been put in place to ensure some of the critical services were rendered at other facilities to free up resources at the hospital. ‘Alternative arrangements have been made for less complex cases to be performed at Helen Joseph Hospital and other regional hospitals. Specialists (nursing and medical) from CMJAH help to strengthen capacity when needed at these other facilities,’ read the statement.
The hospital also faced a limited capacity for patients who would require post-operative ICU and High Care. Masuku said, ‘There are some procedures which due to their complexity cannot be done anywhere else except at CMJAH. These patients unfortunately have co-morbidities and therefore are at higher risk in case they get infected with Covid-19.’
He added that cancer surgeries were continuing in all departments, divisions and units with a few procedures having been deferred due to the reduced number of theatre lists available per week. Paediatric operations were predominately semi-urgent, he said, and were therefore continuing.
This, said Bloom, was good news. “I am relieved that cancer surgery is largely continuing at the hospital, except for a small number of cases due to reduced theatre lists.”
He added that every effort must be made to alleviate other pressing health needs even as the country continues the fight against Covid-19.
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