In recognition of Mandela Month, Mediclinic is providing free procedures around the country to people who are on surgical waiting lists in the public sector. The various provincial Departments of Health will work with one another on this life-changing project.
These procedures are a result of a lengthy partnership between nearby hospitals, affiliated physicians, and the relevant health departments, in which extra room in Mediclinic theatres is used to help patients from the public sector.
Kwa-Zulu Natal
As part of their continuous partnership with Greys Hospital, Mediclinic Pietermaritzburg will host 10 patients on July 21 for urological procedures carried out by paediatric surgeon Dr Mangray and his colleagues. In addition to his routine scoliosis operations, Dr Puddu of Greys Hospital also performs these procedures at Mediclinic Pietermaritzburg where he refers patients from his waiting list.
Gauteng
In the final week of July, patients on the waiting list for the Gauteng Department of Health as well as students at Forest Town School will receive free corneal transplants from Mediclinic Morningside and their medical partners for children with cerebral palsy who drool excessively. Bob Govender, Industry Affairs Executive at Mediclinic and coordinator of these surgeries adds that the quality of life for these patients will significantly improve as a result of these operations. “Transplant surgeries have never been a part of Mediclinic’s pro bono offering,” he adds.
Northern Cape
With the help of Prime Surgicals, which is providing some of the equipment and supplies needed to conduct these surgeries, Mediclinic Kimberley in the Northern Cape will host maxillofacial cases to repair mandibular fractures. Some younger patients will then undergo ENT tonsillectomies at Mediclinic Kimberley later in the month. To improve the working connection between the sectors, surgeries will be carried out in Mediclinic theatres by medical professionals from the public sector.
Western Cape
Around 160 patients will get gynaecological surgery by the end of July in eight of Mediclinic’s Cape Town-based institutions. “This is through a collaboration with Mitchells Plain Hospital and the Western Cape Department of Health,” explains Jacek Marszalek, medical manager of Mitchells Plain Hospital. “Where many of their female patients have been waiting for surgery for a long time, we are proud of the efforts of all the participants, particularly the anaesthetic group who assisted with the provision of anaesthesiology, as these surgeries required extensive coordination and teamwork, services via their members. Doctors across the province have volunteered their time across two weekends to achieve this ambitious total,” Jacek adds.
The appropriate public sector facility selects patients based on an assessment and a set of criteria, and they are then transported for surgery to the partnering Mediclinic facilities. While affiliated surgeons and anaesthetists lend their skills, Mediclinic offers nursing care and operating room resources. These surgical endeavours involve doctors from the public and private sectors, highlighting the variety of issues that can be resolved through cooperation.
In various provinces since 2018, Mediclinic has carried out 800 surgeries, including ENT, urology, cataract, orthopaedic, and many more treatments. Through exploring practical solutions, the collaborative surgeries have helped to strengthen ties between the private sector and several provincial departments of health as the nation moves toward a more accessible healthcare system.
“I would like to thank the specialists involved in these surgeries for their time and dedication,” concludes Govender, “and I would like to reaffirm our commitment to these collaborations with the public sector. We at Mediclinic will continue to seek out opportunities to interact and support where needed, developing workable solutions for the challenges faced within the industry.”
