Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital’s main operating theatre which has been under maintenance for almost a year is expected to be finally handed over by the contactor today. The breakdown at the theatre led to outsourcing of surgical operation services.
The theatre was closed in June last year and ever since then emergency cases were conducted in minor theatres while some cases patients had to be referred to other hospitals.
The hospital’s superintendent Dr Lebogang Mokotedi revealed recently that the maintenance works of the main theatre were at 96% completion stage and the project’s handover is expected by end of March 2023.
He acknowledged that the situation had affected the delivery of operation services at the hospital as some cases were postponed, booked cases were given a new date of operation while emergency cases were done in minor theatres.
According to Mokotedi other patients who were referred to Letsholathebe were transferred for further medical assistance either at Nyangagwe Referral Hospital or Princess Marina Hospital.
“The situation of a non-functioning theatre had posed a risk to the patients because their waiting list had to be prolonged, disease management became difficult to control however priority was given to emergency cases which were done in Letsholathebe,” she revealed.
Meanwhile Assistant Minister of Health Sethomo Lelatisitswe recently revealed that during the period the theatre was non-functional only one life was lost. He said this was a patient who had been referred to one of the private hospitals in Maun.
Member of Parliament for Maun Goretetse Kekgonegile had asked the minister if he is aware of deaths likely to occur and occurring around the hospital due to shortage of medicine and non-functioning theatres throughout the country, and to brief parliament on mitigating factors put in place.
In particular, he wanted the list of hospitals with none functioning theatres and reasons of such scenario, if Letsholathebe Memorial Hospital is among them and for how long has the theatre not been functioning. Kekgonegile also asked the minister where patients referred to Letsholathebe Hospital get operations services and at what rate per month.
In response the Assistant Minister revealed that to address the situation a company was engaged and onsite and has promised to have completed the maintenance by end of March 2023. He also stated that the maintenance rate currently stands at 96%.
Lelatisitswe noted that the theatres were expected to be fully maintained by end of February 2023 but there was a delay due to shortage of some materials.
He revealed that patients referred to Letsholathebe got operations services at Ghanzi, Gweta and Nyangabwe hospitals and the rates of operations done at those hospitals stands at 40, 32 and 187 respectively since June 2022. “The total number of outsourced operations services at Letsholathebe from June 2022 to date stands at 259,” he revealed.
