The Sebokeng Hospital in the Emfuleni local municipality has made history by performing its first two brain surgeries on two patients in over 40 years.
The surgeries were performed on patients who had subdural haematomas (bleeding on the brain). The milestone comes after the recent establishment of a neurosurgery unit at the hospital.
Over the years the hospital, called Zweni by locals, had referred patients in need of brain surgery to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.
Gauteng health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said: “The surgeries were successful. This follows the establishment of a neurosurgery unit.
“I think it is going to assist a lot in the reduction of the high prevalence of mortality and morbidity of traumatic brain injury patients in the Sedibeng district.”
Gauteng MEC for health and wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said: “As part of reclaiming the jewel of the Gauteng public health system, one of our key focus areas is to ensure that our facilities function optimally and that infrastructure challenges are addressed, as this has a direct bearing on positive health outcomes.”
Meanwhile, the hospital’s acting CEO, Dr Fhatuwani Mbara, said many patients who presented with traumatic brain injuries [TBI] were passing away due to a lack of immediate neurosurgical interventions.
“TBI patients were occupying ICU [intensive-care unit] beds for a prolonged duration with no definite management plan because the majority of the patients require different types of operations ranging from skull, brain and spine surgeries,” said Mbara.
Mbara added that the newly established unit and the highly skilled team will ensure that they reduce head injury-related deaths.
The department said the two patients were discharged over the weekend and are recovering well.
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