Gauteng Health addresses surgical backlogs in a week-long blitz
As part of the Gauteng Department of Health initiatives to address surgical backlogs, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) will conduct arthroplasty and cataract procedure blitz from Monday 5 to Friday 9 October 2015.
Patients that will undergo the said procedures have been selected from the hospital’s waiting lists and were admitted on Friday, 2 October 2015. The hospital plans to do over 170 procedures (150 cataract and about 20 arthroplasty).
This is part of the commitments made by the MEC for Health, Ms Qedani Mahlangu, during her Budget Vote address in June 2015, wherein she said, to address the long waiting times for the cataract surgery and arthroplasty, the Department will implement various measures to eliminate the backlogs by the end of October 2015.
Said MEC Mahlangu: “In the short-term we will consider holding continuous surgery blitzes.’ This will be spread out through central, tertiary and regional hospitals.”
A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye causing vision loss that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or corneal refractive surgery. Modern cataract surgery usually can restore vision lost to cataracts and often can reduce dependence on spectacles. Most cataracts are associated with the aging process and are common among older citizens. It is the principal cause of blindness in the world.
Arthroplasty is a surgical procedure to restore the integrity and functionality of joints, with a focus on knee and hip replacement. This procedure will come a long way in assisting a sizeable number of patients who experience difficulty in mobility.
Members of the media are invited to attend the launch to be hosted at CMJAH, where the Head of Department, Dr Tiego Selebano, Hospital CEO, Ms Gladys Bogoshi and the clinical team will explain how the process will unfold.
Launch details are as follows:
Venue: Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Administration Building, 1st Floor Boardroom
Time: 07h30 to 08h30
Date: 5 October 2015
Enquires:
Steve Mabona
Cell: 072 574 3860
Media enquiries
E-mail: mediaenquiries@gauteng.gov.za
