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HomeWeekly RoundupCharlotte Maxeke Hospital referring surgical patients to reduce waiting times

Charlotte Maxeke Hospital referring surgical patients to reduce waiting times

The Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg is starting to refer patients to other hospitals for operations. “The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic hospital (CMJAH) is now referring less complicated medical cases to district hospitals such as Edenvale‚ Bertha Gxowa‚ Tambo Memorial and South Rand hospitals amongst others‚ as part of measures to reduce the number of patients on the waiting list to undergo operations‚” departmental spokesperson Lesemang Matuka is quoted in The Times as saying.

“The medical personnel at the district hospitals are assisted by specialists from CMJAH‚ which also utilises this arrangement to transfer critical surgical skills to the medical officers working in district hospitals.”

The district hospitals that have been authorised to perform operations are: Bertha Gxowa Hospital – foot and ankle surgery‚ breast‚ appendicectomy‚ lumps and bumps‚ haemorrhoidectomy‚ drainage of minor abscesses and benign gynaecological operations; Edenvale Hospital – hernia surgery and closure of colostomy; Far East Rand Hospital – colonoscopy‚ colorectal surgery and wound management; Leratong Hospital – upper gastro intestinal tract (GIT)‚ endocrine‚ sarcoma‚ trauma and burn care; Pholosong Hospital – hernia and breast; South Rand Hospital – diagnostic GIT endoscopy‚ hernia‚ drainage of abscesses‚ appendicectomy and benign gynaecological operations; and Tambo Memorial Hospital – hepato pancreato biliary (HPB)‚ GIT endoscopy‚ trauma and acute care surgery.

According to the report, the department said patients had to wait a long time for operations‚ because emergency cases enjoyed first priority‚ a high number of acute trauma cases‚ limited theatre capacity and ICU beds.

[link url="https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-08-22-charlotte-maxeke-hospital-referring-patients-elsewhere-to-reduce-operation-waiting-times/"]The Times report[/link]

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