Department says prior surgeries, not broken machinery, led to vision loss in one eye
Steve Biko Academic Hospital. Picture: Supplied
The Gauteng Department of Health has denied that a patient was left permanently blind because of dysfunctional equipment at Steve Biko Academic Hospital’s Eye Clinic.
Department spokesperson Steve Mabona said on Monday that the patient’s condition stemmed from complications following several earlier surgical procedures, not the equipment fault.
While the department only seemed to address an incident with one patient, reports say multiple have been impacted.
Gauteng Health slams ‘careless’ handling of patient matters
According to Mabona, specialists at another hospital within the Steve Biko cluster assessed the patient and operated on the eye with the better chance of retaining sight.
He said the patient had been counselled that the prognosis for the other eye was already poor.
“It is therefore inaccurate and misleading to attribute the irreversible loss of vision solely to the equipment and infrastructure challenges at the hospital,” Mabona said.
Mabona said the department was troubled by how the matter had been handled publicly.
“The department is concerned by the continued careless handling of confidential and complex clinical matters of patients without first establishing the full facts,” he said.
He acknowledged that procurement delays had affected services at the clinic, but said replacement equipment was on the way.
Mabona added that the department remained focused on restoring services.
“We continue to prioritise the restoration of affected services, the maintenance of essential infrastructure and medical equipment, and appropriate referral pathways between facilities,” he said.
DA’s allegations
Mabona was responding to claims made earlier by the Democratic Alliance (DA), which said the patient had waited six months for retinal surgery after a compressor and suction system needed to operate the clinic’s constellation machine broke down.
DA Gauteng health spokesperson Madeleine Hicklin on Monday said the patient had lived with a detached retina in his right eye since February, consulting both the Steve Biko and Mamelodi eye clinics without receiving the surgery he needed.
“The suspension of retinal surgery at Steve Biko’s Eye Clinic was brought to our attention by this patient,” Hicklin said.
Hicklin said specialists had offered to raise R10 000 to buy a replacement compressor themselves, but hospital management rejected the offer, insisting procurement had to follow official supply chain processes.
Multiple patients allegedly affected
According to Hicklin, there are a number of other patients affected by the matter.
“The patient told us that he is one of “countless patients” who suffered due to prolonged delays in repairing the equipment needed for retinal surgery at Steve Biko’s Eye Clinic.
“Another patient confirmed this, stating that during a follow-up examination, the clinic informed him that they were not performing retinal surgeries because they had not yet resolved the compressor issue,” Hicklin claimed.
According to Hicklin, medical practitioners were frustrated by “unnecessary procurement delays”. She said these “have prevented the resumption of retinal surgeries and placed patients at risk”.
“This contradicts earlier assurances from hospital management that the situation was under control and there were no waiting lists for surgery,” Hicklin stated.
She condemned the department’s alleged inaction.
“The Gauteng Health Department’s failure to act with the urgency this crisis demanded is inexcusable,” she said.
She called on MEC Faith Mazibuko and head of department Dr Darian Barclay to intervene.
