Stellenbosch Hospital is one of many provincial hospitals that will benefit from the Western Cape health and wellness department’s plan to reduce the province’s elective surgical backlog.
This is according to Sandra Maritz, the communications officer of the Cape Winelands District. “Stellenbosch Hospital continued to provide emergency surgeries throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, but there is a backlog of elective surgeries such as sterilisation and dental care,” she added.
The provincial department’s plan to reduce the backlog of more than 20 000 elective surgeries will commence on 1 May, according to Nomawethu Sbukwana, spokesperson for the Western Cape provincial minister of health, via email correspondence with MatieMedia.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, hospitals have had to downscale the number of surgeries performed, resulting in elective surgery backlogs. “Stellenbosch Hospital continued to provide emergency surgeries throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, but there is a backlog of elective surgeries such as sterilisation and dental care,” said Sandra Maritz, the communications officer of the Cape Winelands district. PHOTO: Takudzwa Pongweni
What it means for Stellenbosch Hospital
As a district hospital, Stellenbosch Hospital provides more general surgeries than regional hospitals, enabling them to make quicker headway in addressing surgical backlogs, said Maritz.
She stated that the hospital will be able to increasingly perform surgeries within its scope and rely on Paarl Hospital for support with surgeries that require more specialised resources such as ophthalmology, the treatment and diagnosis of eye disorders.
Outreaches from Paarl Hospital to Stellenbosch Hospital will return to pre-Covid-19 levels from May onwards, stated Maritz. “During an outreach, specialised staff with a specific skill set and/or resources deliver services at another facility where these skills or resources are needed.”
This will increase the number and scope of elective surgeries and gynaecological procedures performed at Stellenbosch Hospital, explained Maritz.
The catch-up-plan
The provincial plan to address the existing backlog was outlined at Tygerberg Hospital on 11 April by Nomafrench Mbombo, a member of the executive council (MEC).
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, necessary staff members were deployed to Covid services, resulting in a large increase in the backlog of operations, said Sbukwana.
The Western Cape health and wellness department’s plan to reduce the province’s elective surgical backlog will increase the number and scope of elective surgeries and gynaecological procedures performed at Stellenbosch Hospital, explained Sandra Maritz, the communications officer of the Cape Winelands district. PHOTO: Takudzwa Pongweni
There is currently a backlog of over 23 000 elective surgeries, said provincial health department chief operating officer, Dr Saadiq Kariem, via email correspondence with MatieMedia. “Compared to the 2019 baseline when we performed 105 882 operations; by December 2021 we had performed 22% less operations,” said Kariem.
A short-term catch-up plan for 2022/23 has been devised and financed with R20 million. “The plan aims to rapidly reduce a substantial portion of the backlog, by capacitating existing theatre infrastructure and rapidly procuring the required staff,” said Sbukwana.
Stellenbosch Hospital will benefit from the province’s plan to reduce elective surgical backlogs. The hospital will be able to increasingly perform surgeries within its scope and rely on Paarl Hospital for support with surgeries that require more specialised resources such as ophthalmology, said Sandra Maritz, the communications officer of the Cape Winelands district. PHOTO: Takudzwa Pongweni
Kariem explained that they would use R13 million of the R20 million for metropole health services, while the remaining R7 million will be used in the rural areas.