By BAKANG MOKOTO
16 November 2024- North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari has congratulated staff and management at the Klerksdorp/Tshepong Hospital Complex for successfully conducting an Off Pump Coronary Artery Graft (Off Pump GABG), on two patients this week. Lehari said the procedures were the first to be conducted in the province, both in a private and a public facility.
He further said the procedures were conducted in collaboration with a specialist from India and his team as well as specialists from the Wits/Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. Lehari added that one patient underwent surgery on 11 November 2024, while the second patient’s procedure was carried out on 12 November 2024.
“We visited the patients and I was in awe of the work done by the medical professionals, during the two procedures. The North West province must be ready to be inundated with requests for more innovative sessions such as these.
“This confirms the delivery of quality services, and changes in people’s lives that I referred to upon arrival at the department. I have expressed my encouragement to work with the private sector and external stakeholders and this is the perfect example of how such partnership can bear fruit,” he said.
Lehari, congratulated the entire team of experts that was part of this life changing surgery, and completed it without hindrances.
“I implore them to continue to make a difference in people’s lives in such magnitude strides. We look forward to putting our province on the map with quality healthcare services, and showing members of the public that their lives are in capable hands,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Tshepong/Klerksdorp Complex Hospital CEO, Thulane Madonsela, said normally when an open heart surgery is done, the heart is stopped from pumping blood out. Madonsela said the heart lung machine is used as a temporary heart, while the blocked artery is by-passed.
“However, this type of operation is done while the heart is still pumping blood hence it is called an Off Pump Coronary Artery By-pass Graft. Dr Vettath has to-date performed over 5000 such operations across the world.
“He was assisted by Dr Taunyane who is originally from Jouberton Township, in Klerksdorp. The two patients are stable and undergoing a post operation recovery process in the complex’s Intensive Care Unit,” he said.
The Guardian 