No gall bladder ops at Joburg Hospital since March last year
51 patients are currently waiting for gall bladder operations at the hospital.
The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital has not been able to do a single gall bladder operation since March last year because of broken laparoscopy equipment.
This information was revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu in the Gauteng Legislature.
“51 patients are currently waiting for gall bladder operations at the hospital.
“Normally, about six gall bladder operations are done every month, so the backlog is now more than eight months because of the broken equipment,” said the Democratic Alliances (DA) Gauteng Shadow for Health Jack Bloom.
Mahlangu said that new laparoscopic equipment will be delivered in six to eight weeks.
“Patients are referred to the Helen Joseph Hospital for gall bladder surgery.”
Bloom said, “It is shameful that this major hospital has been for so long without a key piece of surgery equipment.
“It is yet another example of equipment failure at this hospital.”
“Other broken machinery at the hospital this year include the following:
- Mammography machine to detect breast cancer
- Broken lifts
- Air-conditioning failure in operating theatres
- Shortage of clean linen because broken sterilising machine
The department should give a high priority to ensuring working equipment at this flagship hospital,” he said.
