The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has pushed back against allegations that a patient was left permanently blind because of broken equipment at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, saying the claims are misleading and not supported by the patient’s clinical records.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the department acknowledged the patient’s distress but insisted that attributing the loss of vision solely to equipment failures at the hospital was factually flawed.
Challenges from previous surgical procedures
“The patient experienced medical challenges which emanated from multiple previous surgical procedures,” the department said.
According to the department, specialists at another hospital within the Steve Biko Academic Hospital cluster assessed the patient and operated on the eye that had the better chance of retaining vision.
It said the patient had also been counselled that the prognosis for the other eye was already poor and that surgery was unlikely to restore sight.
“It is therefore inaccurate and misleading to attribute the irreversible loss of vision solely to the equipment and infrastructure challenges at the hospital,” the statement read.
Reports of faulty ophthalmology equipment
The response follows public criticism over reports that faulty ophthalmology equipment at the Pretoria-based tertiary hospital had allegedly resulted in a patient losing their eyesight.
While denying that equipment failures caused the patient’s blindness, the department admitted that procurement delays and infrastructure challenges have disrupted service delivery.
It said the process of procuring the required equipment is at an advanced stage and that delivery is expected “in due course” to help restore affected services.
The department further said the patient’s clinical records do not support claims that the infrastructure challenges significantly contributed to the permanent loss of vision.
It also criticised what it described as the “careless handling” of confidential and complex medical matters before all the facts had been established.
‘Responsibility to communicate health matters accurately’
“We all have a responsibility to communicate health matters accurately, particularly where unverified claims may cause unnecessary anxiety among patients awaiting care,” the department said.
The GDoH said it remains committed to restoring affected services, maintaining essential medical equipment and ensuring patients requiring specialist eye care continue to be referred to facilities capable of providing the necessary treatment.
The department added that it remains committed to treating patients with dignity while ensuring communities receive accurate information about healthcare services.
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- Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) denied claims that broken equipment at Steve Biko Academic Hospital caused a patient’s permanent blindness, calling the allegations misleading and unsupported by clinical records.
- The patient’s vision loss was linked to complications from multiple previous surgeries, with specialists prioritizing the eye with a better chance of retaining sight.
- GDoH acknowledged procurement delays and infrastructure challenges but stated these did not significantly contribute to the patient’s vision loss, with new equipment expected to arrive soon.
- The department criticized premature public disclosure of confidential medical information, urging accurate communication to avoid patient anxiety.
- GDoH reaffirmed its commitment to restoring services, maintaining medical equipment, and ensuring patients receive appropriate specialist eye care.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the department acknowledged the patient’s distress but insisted that attributing the loss of vision solely to equipment failures at the hospital was factually flawed.
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It said the patient had also been counselled that the prognosis for the other eye was already poor and that surgery was unlikely to restore sight.
“It is therefore inaccurate and misleading to attribute the irreversible loss of vision solely to the equipment and infrastructure challenges at the hospital,” the statement read.
While denying that equipment failures caused the patient’s blindness, the department admitted that procurement delays and infrastructure challenges have disrupted service delivery.
It said the process of procuring the required equipment is at an advanced stage and that delivery is expected “in due course” to help restore affected services.
It also criticised what it described as the “careless handling” of confidential and complex medical matters before all the facts had been established.
“We all have a responsibility to communicate health matters accurately, particularly where unverified claims may cause unnecessary anxiety among patients awaiting care,” the department said.
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