Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Tamsin Metelerkamp
Published on 2024-02-24 19:32:58
Health professionals in the Western Cape’s tertiary hospitals are deeply concerned about the effects of national budget cuts on the delivery of health services in the region. The provincial Department of Health and Wellness has been forced to implement various cost-saving measures, including restricting the filling of vacant clinical posts and reducing the number of elective surgeries. This has led to significant challenges in providing timely and necessary care to patients.
At Groote Schuur Hospital, one of the leading facilities in the region, the Department of Surgery has had to cut about two theatre lists each day, resulting in the loss of approximately 10 surgeries daily and 100 surgeries monthly. This reduction in capacity has had a direct impact on patients who were already scheduled for surgery, as they now face longer waiting times and delays in their treatment. The hospital had made significant progress in reducing surgical backlogs in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the current budget cuts threaten to undo that progress.
According to Professor Lydia Cairncross, the head of the Department of Surgery at Groote Schuur Hospital, the decreased capacity for elective surgeries is also putting pressure on emergency theatre lists. Patients who have to wait longer for their scheduled surgeries may experience more advanced pathology and complications, turning what would have been elective procedures into urgent ones. This not only affects the quality of care provided but also increases the strain on already limited resources.
The situation is particularly dire for oncology patients in need of surgery, as delays in their treatment can have serious repercussions on their health outcomes. Professor Jeannette Parkes, the head of the Division of Clinical and Radiation Oncology at Groote Schuur Hospital, highlighted the impact of reduced theatre lists on patients with various types of cancer, including breast cancer and gastrointestinal cancers. The delays in surgery not only affect the patients’ physical health but also add to their emotional stress and anxiety.
The shortage of surgical staff at the hospital further exacerbates the challenges faced by patients and healthcare providers. Vacant posts in departments such as ophthalmology, plastic surgery, general surgery, ENT, and paediatric surgery have created significant gaps in staffing, leading to longer waiting times and increased workloads for existing staff. The freeze on filling clinical and non-clinical posts due to budget constraints has left many essential positions unfilled, creating a ripple effect across the hospital’s operations.
The reduced nursing staff, frozen budgets for agency nursing, and overtime for nurses have added to the strain on the hospital’s resources. The nursing deficit in the surgical wards has reached 15%, making it difficult to adequately staff the beds and provide the necessary care for patients. With a large shortage of oncology nursing staff, the department is facing challenges in delivering chemotherapy treatments and managing their growing patient load.
Overall, the combination of budget cuts, staff shortages, and reduced capacity for surgeries has created a challenging environment for healthcare providers in the Western Cape. The impact on patients is significant, with longer waiting times, delays in treatment, and increased risks to their health outcomes. Urgent action is needed to address these issues and ensure that patients receive the quality care they deserve.
Read the original article on Daily Maverick
