Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Quest to end surgery backlog caused by pandemic
IN ORDER to raise money for the Surgical Recovery Project, the hiking group, Hike2Heal, is taking on the Otter Trail along the coast of the Garden Route to help address the surgery backlog caused by the pandemic at Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH).
With the hospital needing to perform over 6 000 surgeries that have fallen behind and reduce morbidity and complications resulting from delayed operative care, the 12 hikers plan on taking the five-day hike that will assist with the primary objective of the project, which aims to perform, a minimum of 1 500 extra surgical operations over the 2022-2023 financial year.
Zaheer Parker from Hike2Heal said that given that GSH is an iconic institution, it is only right that something is done to give back to the medical facility that has served Cape Town for decades.
“We felt it almost symbolic that we could use our limbs, health and eyesight to enjoy this great hiking experience, whilst others, our fellow Capetonians predominantly, were just hoping and praying to receive treatment to regain the use of their limbs and health.
“With our catch phrase being ‘hike, help, heal’, it exposes the characteristics of our cause. The fund-raiser is important because often we leave the plight of the most reliant on our public health to the government, and with the effects of Covid-19, such operational budgets were exhausted and left our fellow Capetonians short as they were made to wait.
“Without raising funds, and, dare I say, more importantly, awareness, this backlog will not disappear. If we help an individual, we are actually helping a family get back on their feet; it will in turn heal our communities,” said Parker.
With hikers starting their adventure to the coast today, Kristy Evans from the Groote Schuur Hospital Trust said she hopes that, with the fundraising, along with partnership and assistance, the hospital can perform operations from May 1.
“During the pandemic, hospital services were de-escalated and resources, staff included, were diverted to Covid-19-related services – high care, ICUs, etc.
“The trust aims to raise enough money (with the assistance of the public, corporates, trusts, and foundations) to ensure that we can fund the surgeries that have been delayed.
“We aim to raise R15 million to ensure that 1 500 surgeries are completed in year one of this project. The start date for surgeries is from May 1. We need to hire the staff to run the extra theatres needed to get these surgeries done, in tandem with regular intake at the hospital.
“That is why the fundraising aims to ensure that these surgeries are prioritised as some patients have waited more than two years,” said Evans.
Parker added that the hike would be able to ease the burden the public health system has, and give families another chance to smile.
“Naturally, if people know about the Surgical Recoveries Fund and about the 6 000-odd people who are reliant on an already stretched public health system for essential care, we know that we have nobody else to look to but our own pockets to make it work.
“Capetonians are naturally generous. It just needs someone to create the platform as the vehicle through which the funding can be channelled,” said Parker.