Cape Town - The provincial Department of Health plans to use its two recently acquired robotic surgery machines installed at the Groote Schuur and Tygerberg hospitals to fast-track surgeries and address the province’s surgical backlogs caused by Covid-19.
Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said: “These robotics will be beneficial in reducing our theatre slate and it’s a less invasive surgery with low blood loss and faster and better recovery periods.”
Mbombo said the main disease conditions that the robotic surgery programme will focus on are colorectal, liver, prostate, kidney and bladder cancers, and women with severe endometriosis.
“We are allocating R20 million for surgical backlogs from this budget to be used to procure the required staff. This will allow a faster turnaround of patients requiring theatre.”
Mbombo was speaking as she tabled the 2022/23 Western Cape Health budget of R29 billion which she said was about the journey to health recovery and post-Covid-19 healing.
She also announced a name change for the department, now to be known as the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness.
ANC MPL Rachel Windvogel said the two years of Covid-19 disruptions had caused unspeakable trauma and difficulties for families of departed front line workers.
Windvogel reminded her colleagues in the legislature that during the deliberations on the Health Department’s annual reports in 2021, the ANC had proposed the building of a Wall of Remembrance in honour of the departed health-care workers.
“Ever-reliable, hard-working and dedicated department head Dr Keith Cloete committed to seriously consider the suggestion. Yet, several months later, there is no progress on this.”
She said the lack of action on a memorial for the front line workers signalled that the department undervalued their contribution and sacrifices and demanded that the budget make an allocation for this project.
EFF MPL Melikhaya Xego and GOOD Party MPL Shaun August both took the Province and the City to task over the closure of hospitals and clinics.
Xego said the closure of health facilities was shocking considering Mbombo had noted the province’s population was growing at 2% per year.
August said: “I am calling on MEC Mbombo to understand there exists a real need for proper, functional health services residents can proudly access without fear of intimidation, prejudice or safety challenges.”