Priority is given to patients with a severity measure currently on the waiting list for orthopaedic surgeries at the Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein. This is according to the Free State Department of Health, responding to the concern arising from the delay in performing surgeries on patients on the waiting list.
Mondli Mvambi, spokesperson for the department, said the hospital has started performing surgeries to wipe out the backlog. He explained that the backlog came after a temporary delay in performing these elective surgeries.
“The cases are prioritised according to their severity. The reason for this backlog is the orthopaedic surgery marathons that were not performed during the weekends of 20 and 21 January, and 27 and 28 January,” he said, adding that measures were in place to deal with the backlog.
“The orthopaedic surgeries aimed at reducing the backlog resumed on 3 February, and this will continue during weekends, in addition to the normal slate done during the week,” said Mvambi.
He said the team of orthopaedic surgeons at the hospital had made significant progress in reducing the backlog to a number below 50.
He added that the number of patients who were due for surgeries in January had stood at 55. With ongoing effort the number was reduced and is said to have stood at 46.
Mvambi said patients on the waiting list were admitted with varying injuries sustained.
These injuries range from fractures to the legs, to injuries of the head, knee, shoulders, and upper thigh as well arms. Some were admitted with severe injuries due to violence and accidents.
According to Mvambi, the department is contending with Eskom’s implementation of load shedding, which exacerbates the backlog and the effort to speedily address it.
Prolonged load shedding came in the wake of the department focusing on addressing the a shortage of orthopaedic surgeons.
The Free State MEC for Health, Mathabo Leeto, stated last year during the budget speech that the backlog in orthopaedic surgeries remained a major challenge, owing to the high demand for services due to the shortage of specialists and operating theatre time.
To reduce the backlog, a team of specialist surgeons have been volunteering their services to perform surgeries at different hospitals in the province.
The effort has seen the backlog that stood at 976 by November last year, reduced significantly.
In its concerted effort to address the surgical backlog, the department has since made available more theatre spaces at the following hospitals: Bongani Regional Hospital in Welkom, the Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli Regional Hospital in Phuthaditjhaba, the Fezi Ngubentombi District Hospital in Sasolburg, the Dihlabeng Regional Hospital in Bethlehem, and the Boitumelo Regional Hospital in Kroonstad.
