A team of theatre nurses and anaesthetists from Cape Town, who are Gift of the Givers volunteers, assisted with the backlog of surgeries at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley this weekend.
A TEAM of theatre nurses and anaesthetists from Cape Town, who are Gift of the Givers volunteers, assisted with the backlog of surgeries at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley this weekend.
Patients with critical conditions have been left waiting for up to seven weeks in the hospital for surgeries that could not be scheduled due to a lack of theatre staff.
Gift of the Givers chairperson and founder Dr Imitiaz Sooliman said the public health system was severely strained.
“There are infrastructure deficiencies, under-staffing, frozen posts, reduction in registrars, lack of equipment, inability to repair equipment, non-availability of consumables, huge backlogs in surgery, never-ending queues for cancer management, water deprivation and load shedding.
“The private and public sectors, committed volunteers and dedicated public servants working in unison can make an enormous difference,” Sooliman added.
He said that the Northern Cape Department of Health and Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital had requested them to provide support to carry out catch-up surgery.
“The request is for anaesthetists, scrub sisters, scrubs, operating drapes and consumables. The hospital will provide theatres, general surgeons, floor and anaesthetic nurses, support staff and post-operative care. Gift of the Givers sent five anaesthetists and five scrub sisters.”
Sooliman added that donors funded the cost of scrubs and consumables.
“Dr Ahmed Bhyat, our team member and head of surgery at the hospital, arranged the meals, while Gert Kruger from Mondior Manor guest house provided accommodation for four nights, at no cost. Within the first day, the teams carried out 34 procedures with the aim of reaching more than 70 operations this weekend. This is testimony to the care, compassion and dedication of our health-care workers and the power of partnerships.”
Sooliman stated that Gift of the Givers was funding several health interventions including a R50 million upgrade at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, catch-up surgery, community medical outreach programmes, kidney dialysis, borehole drilling, providing scrubs, medical equipment and consumables, funding a national after-hours Poison Call Centre, and audiology, optometry and counselling services.
“Discussion has been initiated with medical aid schemes, CEOs of private hospital groups, private medical specialists and medical companies to participate in a national outreach to speed up access to quality health care at minimal or zero cost.”
He added that they were promoting funding of between 300-500 registrars in academic hospitals to enhance academic training, teaching and research.
In a video that was posted on the Department of Health’s Facebook page, the acting CEO of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital, Dr Alastair Kantani, stated that they had a plan to respond to emergency cases and to address backlogs.
“We have engaged with different stakeholders who could assist us, of which Gift of the Givers was one of them,” said Kantani.
He indicated that they were faced with major challenges, including a shortage of skilled nurses and doctors, that were causing the backlogs. “The only way we can favourably respond to backlogs is by getting services from outside.”
Kantani said patients were placed according to a priority list and kept up to date with operation schedules.
“We hope that this will be an ongoing arrangement where catch-up surgeries are performed every month.”
Operating theatre manager Dr Esmé Olivier indicated that this weekend’s marathon surgery session would include cancer patients, gynaecology, ear, nose and throat and urology backlogs.
“The backlogs were partially created due to the Covid-19 pandemic as we had to reduce the number of elective surgeries that were performed.”
She added that another surgery marathon would take place in November to address the backlogs.
