Surgery hiatus at Prince Mshiyeni
THE Democratic Alliance has been reliably informed that all general surgery at Durban’s Prince Mshiyeni Hospital has been on hold since Monday following the breakdown of a critical piece of medical equipment, for which the hospital has no back-up.
The part – a diathermy – is used to stop bleeding during surgery and was allegedly problematic for about a week. Despite the issue being brought to the attention of the hospital management as a matter of urgency, nothing was done.
The result is that patients scheduled for surgery had to be turned away. The DA’S source confirmed that no plan to remedy the situation was known, meaning neither patients nor staff knew when operations could resume.
The situation is compounded by a massive backlog in surgery as a result of theatre air-conditioning units that were broken for some time. The hospital now has a backlog of about 300 general surgical elective operations with 132 patients lying in wards for over a month waiting to have their broken bones operated on.
The eye department had more than 770 patients waiting for procedures. The latest debacle has dealt a sever blow to hope of addressing the backlogs.
During the recent KZN health budget debate vote, the DA opposed the department’s programme on machinery and equipment, citing insufficient funding.
The department’s contract for leasing and maintaining medical equipment is also problematic, with the company awarded this tender in 2015 currently under forensic investigation by the KZN Treasury – amid claims it has high-level political ties.
While the probe is under way, machinery is collapsing all over the province. Yet Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo does nothing.
The DA will write to Dhlomo and his head of department to insist they cancel the contract to get our health facilities working properly. It is time the MEC took decisive action in the interests of the people of Kwazulu-natal.
If he is not prepared to do so, then he must resign or be removed.
DR IMRAN KEEKA, MPL, DA KZN health spokesperson