Over 750 patients await operations

PATRICIA MAGANU-EDWINbr>Staff Writer | Thursday May 26, 2011 00:00

 

NRH Superintendent Dr Ewetse Mosweu has confirmed that there are 750 patients currently waiting to have operations with booking dates going as far as 2014.

Mosweu told Francistown councillors in a full council meeting this week that the operations have been hindered by factors such as shortages in blood, equipment, anaesthetics, facilities and painkillers that should be administered to patients after the operations.  'Usually we get blood from blood drives at schools but when the schools are closed we experience a huge problem,' she told the council.

Mosweu said despite the challenges they are facing, the hospital will next month start a campaign to work on the backlog as fast as possible. This will be done with the help of local health facilities and Riverside Private Hospital.'The problem that we face is mainly transport to and from the hospital after the operation so we can create space. So we have decided that we will send out a list to local hospitals with a list of the patients who need operations and they can transport them back home and we can then turn to another batch of patients,' she said.

Mosweu said it is important that they get through the list quickly because some patients face the danger of cervical cancer.  She added that people with this condition should be helped within six months.

'We have to move fast to eliminate that number because the disease cannot wait for 2014,' she said. She added that the most affected women were in their mid 20's and mid 30's.

She said that once they start, the hospital plans to do 10 operations per day; about 60 per week and between 240 and 250 per month then take a break.

She further told the councillors that currently the hospital has only two theatre rooms because one has been closed due to the rains and bad roofing.