Following our article on Friday titled ‘Free State Health at the forefront of batho pele with state-of-the-art hospital in Trompsburg’ which has significantly reduced volume of awaiting surgery patients in the province – Step Up SA News has learned Fezi Ngubentombi District Hospital in Sasolburg has also come to the party.
The Free State hospitals have in the past few months experienced an influx of emergency surgeries following relaxed covid-19 regulations which greenlit the consumption of alcohol.
In December 2021 we reported on overcrowding at Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital in Bloemfontein that amongst others dealing with alcohol-related injuries. These can be explained as injuries from violence and motor car accidents in which excessive alcohol use was an underlying cause. These surgeries owing to their urgent nature end up taking place ahead of scheduled ones.
Kgomotso Phahladira, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Fezi Ngubentombi Hospital says the outreach program has multiple benefits.
“The orthopedic outreach to our hospital has multiple benefits to both the health system and patient.
For systems, the outreach will assist in reducing the backlog of cases at the higher level of care, thus inevitable reducing the time patients have to wait for operations.”
With regards to how this outreach will help communities Phahladira said.
“As for patients, the outreach will help ensuring that patients are operated closer to home and quicker than they would ordinarily wait for referral to high level of care and this will improve the health of our patients, quicker rehabilitation to ensure they become economically active. We did 1 case last Friday to launch ts service.”
Dr Gaetan Aleke, acting Clinical Manager at Fezi Ngubentombi Hospital spoke exclusively to Choane Media yesterday.
WATCH: https://twitter.com/Step_Up_SA/status/1498915253970743298?t=lgxiSCxaq1lkJY9ar0ZA3g&s=19
The Department intensified its efforts to reduce high volumes of waiting times by opening Albert Nzula District hospital in Trompsburg where some of the orthopedic patients will be treated.
In addition other hospitals will no longer refer patients to Pelonomi Hospital as they have been fully capacitated.
With Fezi Ngubentombi now operating patients up next will be Boitumelo Hospital in Kroonstad.
Last year the department re-opened the refurbished Heidedal Clinic and these efforts do not go unnoticed.
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