Limpopo Health Dept performs 270 operations in 7 days

POLOKWANE – The Limpopo MEC for Health has extended her gratitude to healthcare workers who participated in the rural health matters outreach project that alleviated a surgical backlog in the province.

The project, which forrmed part of the department’s Mandela month celebrations saw healthcare workers volunteer their services on Mandela Day at the Mankweng Tertiary & Academic Hospital and for a week-long clearance in the Sekhukhune District.

“The Mandela Day team initially committed to operate on 67 children with different health challenges, of which 45 were in Mankweng and the rest at other facilities, however, 75 children were operated on across the province on that day,” health spokesperson Neil Shikwambana said.

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Ramathuba then launched a week-long surgical backlog clearance on July 23 to mark the end of their celebrations under the rural health matters project that targeted 200 patients.

The team of medical and dental specialists performed 270 operations in seven days under the following disciplines:

– Ophthalmology – 87 cases
– Orthopaedics – 51 cases
– Paediatric surgery – 20 cases
– Radiology – 63 cases
– Maxillofacial – 12 cases
– Plastic and reconstructive surgery – 4 cases
– General surgery – 19 cases
– Gynaecology -14 cases

Ramathuba, who is in Canada for the International Aids Conference, said the department is finalising the rural health matters outreach project that will benefit women facing health challenges during Women’s month.

The project will be led by female surgeons.

“This will be done as we honor the class of 1956 who fought triple oppression and debunk the myth that a women’s place is in the kitchen. Our female surgeons will be in the forefront demonstrating how good they are with a knife in theatre compared to the narrative that we excel with it in in our kitchens,” she said.