The Gauteng Department of Health will take delivery of laparoscopic equipment in October which would be commissioned at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital for gallbladder operations.
MEC for Health‚ Qedani Mahlangu‚ said the equipment would ensure better and improved service delivery in the province as Charlotte Maxeke hospital was a central hospital that took referrals from other facilities in its cluster.
“We would like to have as minimal disruption to our services as possible‚ and as such‚ we plead for patience.
“The hospital conducts about six gallbladder procedures per month. This acquisition will play a major role in improving service delivery.
“As an interim measure‚ Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital refers gallbladder operations to its sister hospital‚ Helen Joseph Hospital‚” Mahlangu said.
The department also said it wished “to clarify that undocumented foreign nationals‚ especially pregnant patients are treated and afforded proper professional healthcare in all Gauteng provincial facilities”.
It said that undocumented foreign nationals were treated as private patients and “as such‚ a means test is conducted to determine the amount to be paid for services rendered”.
The Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital in Johannesburg had performed more than 6‚000 deliveries for the year 2014 on foreign nationals - this number included 3‚882 Zimbabwean national‚ 1‚000 patients from Somalia‚ 489 from Pakistan‚ 462 from Ethiopia and 437 from Nigeria.
RDM News Wire.
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