Picture: The doctors posing for a photo after a successful cardiac operation on a patient/Supplied
By OBAKEN MAJE
North West MEC for Health, Madoda Sambatha is beaming with pride following a successful cardiac operation on a patient (21), who was treated at Job Shimankane Tabane (JST) Hospital in Rustenburg. Sambatha said the patient was successfully treated for a congenital cardiac condition called Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) using a percutaneous technique in the catheterisation lab for closure of the defect.
“Atrial Septal Defect is a hole between two chambers of the heart causing the mixing of blood, if not closed in time it can cause serious complications in the future.
“Traditionally, this kind of operation is fixed through an open heart procedure. However, due to technological advancement in catheterisation techniques, allows it to be done in a cath lab as a day procedure with no open surgery needed,” he said.
Sambatha further said this collaborative effort between the JST and Life Peglarae medical teams, truly augurs well as they look to the future with the National Health Insurance (NHI). He added that the procedure was done in the Cath Lab of Life Peglarae Hospital in Rustenburg jointly with the JST medical team.
“I would like to congratulate the team of Cardiologists that carried out this procedure Dr Mogwera, Dr Msiza, and Dr Raphala along with Dr Pege. The Anaesthetist, Cardiac Technologists, Radiographers, and Nurses.
“This is the first of its kind in the public sector in the province and it is indeed a model of NHI in action,” concluded Sambatha.
The Guardian 