Department responds to gastro test allegations at Charlotte Maxeke

The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital has refuted claims that there has been a drastic drop in gastroenterology tests being done due to a shortage of working equipment at the gastro clinic.

This denial comes after Democratic Alliance Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, Jack Bloom, alleged that the number of tests done had dropped significantly over the past three years and questioned the impact this continued decrease has had on patients in dire need of tests.

Bloom explained that three patients, Fadeela Tiry, Lucienne Israel and Gwyn Griffiths had been adversely affected by this reduction, with Griffiths allegedly slowly starving to death as her stomach had been removed 36 years ago and she now required a special tube to be inserted to enable her to receive nourishment.

“Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu, in a written reply to my questions, explained that the amount of colonoscopies done last year was 3 041, an average of 120 a month, while this year, 93 were done between January and April, an average of 23 per month,” Bloom said.

“There was a similar fall in gastroscopies, which averaged about 266 a month last year, to an average of 123 gastroscopies per month between the same period of time.”

Bloom alleged that, despite denials from the department, the decrease was due to a shortage of working equipment to conduct the tests, which he explained had resulted in patients having to allegedly wait months for these tests. Furthermore, 169 patients were on the waiting list for colonoscopies while 98 were on the list for gastroscopies and new cases are allegedly being referred to Helen Joseph Hospital.

“The problem is that patients [have now] become emergency cases because of the long delay in doing the tests that are needed,” he stressed.

Responding to Bloom’s allegations was Steve Mabona, spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Health, who confirmed the figures, but explained that this was not due to a shortage, but rather equipment needing service repairs.

“Six gastroscopes and four colonoscopes are currently awaiting repairs at the repair service providers and orders have been placed for another gastroscope and colonoscope, both of which are awaiting delivery from the service provider,” he explained.

Mabona also spoke of the number of patients on the waiting list, which he confirmed were 169 and 98 respectively, and added that the average waiting period of tests ranged between one and 30 days for colonoscopies and zero to 14 days for gastroscopies. He concluded by explaining that some cases were referred to Helen Joseph Hospital to reduce the waiting list and that the number of procedures performed often depended on the demand for the service.

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