Note to editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Madeleine Hicklin MPL.
- Patient permanently blinded after six-month delay for retinal surgery.
- Specialists’ offer to replace the faulty compressor was rejected.
- DA demands urgent restoration of services, accountability, and referral pathways.
A patient has been left permanently blind in their right eye after waiting for six months for sight-saving retinal surgery at Steve Biko Academic Hospital’s Eye Clinic in Tshwane. The delay in the surgery was caused by the failure of the compressor and suction systems needed for operating the constellation machine, which have broken down and have yet to be replaced.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on Gauteng MEC for Health, Faith Mazibuko, and Head of Department, Dr Darian Barclay, to urgently intervene to ensure the immediate procurement of the required equipment, restore retinal surgery services at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, and prevent more patients from suffering avoidable and permanent vision loss.
The suspension of retinal surgery at Steve Biko’s Eye Clinic was brought to our attention by this patient, who has been living with a detached retina in his right eye since February. Despite multiple consultations at the Steve Biko and Mamelodi Eye Clinics, he did not receive the urgent surgery he required. A procedure was only recently performed at Mamelodi Eye Clinic to try to save his left eye. He has since been referred to Steve Biko.
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.
A reliable source has informed us that specialists even raised R10 000 to purchase a replacement compressor themselves so that retinal surgeries could continue. However, hospital management reportedly rejected the offer, insisting that the procurement had to follow the Gauteng Department of Health’s Supply Chain Management processes.
A WhatsApp message shared with us confirms the frustration among specialists, who believe unnecessary procurement delays 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.
The Gauteng Health Department’s failure to act with the urgency this crisis demanded is inexcusable. While officials hid behind procurement processes, patients were left waiting for sight-saving surgery until it was too late.
The DA calls for those responsible for this catastrophic failure to be held fully accountable for the irreversible harm suffered by patients.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would not allow patients to endure months of uncertainty as supply chain options to replace broken machinery are explored. We would ensure that essential equipment remains functional and, in the event of equipment failures, activate appropriate referral pathways.