Why no more ultrasounds at Rahima Moosa Hospital?
Health department says the examination should be only done on serious medical terms.
Residents from the Westside area have been complaining about routinely ultrasounds not being done at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital anymore.
Ethel Rogue from Bosmont said they cannot afford private services.
“It’s not that we just want to know the gender but it is always good to know if your baby is healthy or not and through the normal ultrasound examination we know that.
“Why do we then have public facilities if we must still pay elsewhere for the examination?,” said Rogue.
According to provincial spokesperson Steve Mabona ultrasounds in obstetrics are a medical examination that should be performed for indicated reasons only.
“We do ultrasounds between 11 – 14 weeks and again at 20 – 23 weeks.
“Outside of these periods ultrasounds of these times the ultrasound is performed based on the assessment of the attending physician.
This is due to the concerns of the mechanical and thermal effects of ultrasound beams on human and biological tissues,” said Mabona.
Patients are referred to the antenatal clinic by their clinics and the doctors will assess the need for ultrasound.
The Gauteng Department of Health said if any changes arise for this department then it will be communicated with the public.
