By Mapaballo Borotho
- The DA claims a patient was left permanently blind after a six-month delay in retinal surgery at Steve Biko Hospital.
- Gauteng Health has rejected the allegations, saying the patient’s medical history and clinical records do not support that conclusion.
- The DA maintains that prolonged equipment failures continue to delay retinal surgeries and put other patients at risk.
The Gauteng Department of Health has denied allegations that a patient was left permanently blind because of broken equipment at the Steve Biko Hospital Eye Clinic.
This follows reports suggesting that the patient permanently lost their sight following a six-month delay in retinal surgery.
“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,” said DA Gauteng spokesperson for Health, Madeleine Hicklin.
However, the Gauteng Department of Health has labelled these allegations as factually flawed.
“We sympathise with the patient and acknowledge the distress associated with deteriorating or lost vision. However, such a sensitive matter must be communicated responsibly and based on verified clinical information rather than assumptions that may unnecessarily alarm patients and undermine confidence in public healthcare services,” said Gauteng Health spokesperson Steve Mabona.
Mabona said the patient in question experienced medical challenges that resulted from multiple previous surgical procedures.
“Specialists at another hospital within the Steve Biko Academic Hospital cluster assessed the patient and operated on the eye that had the better prospect of retaining vision. The patient was informed, through a counselling process, that the prognosis for the other eye was already poor, and that surgery was unlikely to restore vision,” he added.
Mabona said it is inaccurate and misleading to attribute the permanent loss of vision solely to equipment and infrastructure challenges at the hospital.
He explained that the patient’s clinical records do not support the claim that these infrastructure challenges contributed significantly to the blindness.
However, the DA says countless patients at the hospital have suffered due to prolonged delays in repairing the equipment needed for retinal surgery.
“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,” Hicklin added.
Hicklin said a reliable source also told the party that hospital specialists went as far as raising 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.”
Gauteng Health assured that restoring affected services at public health institutions remains a priority.
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