Teamwork, funding and discipline is the secret to completing surgery backlog, say doctors

The surgical team are working to complete 1500 operations in year one. SUPPLIED

The surgical team are working to complete 1500 operations in year one. SUPPLIED

Published Jun 18, 2022

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Cape Town - Doctors at Groote Schuur Hospital said the success in completing surgeries, which have been backlogged due to Covid-19, lies in teamwork, funding, equipment and being disciplined.

Groote Schuur hospital has a backlog of 6000 operations and is aiming to raise R15 million for a year, one of the projects aimed at reducing the numbers.

The Western Cape currently has a backlog of 80 000 surgeries.

Last month, The Department of Health and Wellness’ Mark van der Heever said recent figures showed that there was approximately 80 000 non-essential surgeries backlog made up of various conditions, which includes 30 000 minor procedures.

They still need R2.7 million to reach their target.

As of a week ago, 78 surgeries were completed out of the 1 500 surgeries they were aiming to complete in the first year of their Surgical Recovery Project at GSH.

Last week, Groote Schuur Hospital held the opening of their E4 theatre, which will specifically address the surgical backlog and waiting list.

Doctor Shrikant Maurice Peters, Public Health Medicine Specialist at the hospital, is one of the staff who is working hard at completing the surgery backlog.

He said funding and teamwork would make the goal of completing backlog surgeries a success.

“The Theatre Management Committee ExCo (Medical Superintendent, Theatre Matron, Head Clinical Services Anaesthesiologist, Head of Surgery) are scheduling lists to surgical disciplines on a weekly basis,” he explained.

“The lists are made possible by the funds received, which funds extra Surgeons, Anaesthetists and Theatre Nurses, which we are using to boost our theatre capacity for this project.”

Spokesperson for Groote Schuur Hospital, Alaric Jacobs, said Covid-19 had contributed to the backlog, and as of May 1, catch-up surgeries began starting at the Ophthalmology department as well as breast diagnostic list.

“In this incredible example of collaboration between the provincial government, civil society, Gift of the Givers and over 200 individual citizens and businesses, the Surgical Recovery Project at GSH is now in full swing,” said Jacobs.

“The catch-up surgeries already began on May 1 at GSH with our largest catch-up lists in the ophthalmology department, as well as a number of breast diagnostic lists.

“We are now, however, able to operate across all departments and address backlogs, re-prioritise the acuity and deal with some of our most urgent surgeries.

“Although the Covid-19 pandemic required de-escalation of services and therefore the reduction of non-Covid-related services, the opening of the E4 theatres to our surgical waiting lists allows us to address some of this backlog and change people’s lives that have been on hold waiting for these operations.

“We would like to celebrate the significant generosity of all our donors and supporters, big and small, who have come forward with their donations in support of this project.”

Jacobs said: “We are still appealing to the public and corporates to assist us with further funding.

“Although we have secured enough funds to begin our operations, we still require R2.7 million to reach our goal of R15 million for 1500 patients to obtain their catch-up surgeries at GSH this year.”

Kirsty Evans, executive director of Groote Schuur Hospital Trust, said they had a 6000 backlog to work with, and that they were close to a hundred surgeries completed and that the funding saw to all aspects of operations, such as staff.

“These span across all disciplines, with the longest waiting list being in the ophthalmology department.

“We aim to raise R15 million for Year 1 of the project. This covers the costs of hiring staff for one year – in order to staff the two operating theatres in the E4 theatre space that recently opened up to our surgical waiting lists.

“As of last Friday, we have done 78 of the 1500 surgeries we are aiming to do in Year 1 of the project.”

Gift of the Givers (GOTG) contributed R5 million and the provincial health and wellness department put up R6 million for surgeries in the Metro West.

To donate to the Surgical Recovery Project visit: https://www.gshtrust.co.za/donate

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