"That is not a major thing" - The authorities do not see Mavis's case as a priority.
Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital CEO Johanna More asked: "Why is this woman being sent to my hospital? She's from the East Rand. What happened to hospitals over there?
"We have serious issues like breast cancer that we are still attending to.
"Her condition simply means that she has fat in her breasts and that is not a major thing.
"There is no such a thing as that we have a shortage of staff at Bara."
Gauteng health department spokesman Simon Zwane said the woman's condition was not life-threatening.
"It is as an unintended consequence and result of continued use of ARV," Zwane explained.
"What she is asking for is a cosmetic surgical operation and unfortunately this cannot be prioritised above life-threatening and emergency surgical operations that our hospitals deal with daily.
"Just to illustrate the load that these hospitals have for instance, Chris Hani Baragwanath conducts six burns reconstruction on babies per month, repairs three cleft palates per week, conducts 20 operations on cancer patients per month and 15 to 20 trauma cases per month.
"This means doctors are in theatres for long periods daily conducting life-saving operations.
"Taking this into account and considering that her condition is not life-threatening, she will have to follow advice from the doctors and await their final decision," he said.
- This article was first published in the printed newspaper on 14 June 2012
Medical Comment: Young woman's HIV drugs nightmare
"That is not a major thing" - The authorities do not see Mavis's case as a priority.
Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital CEO Johanna More asked: "Why is this woman being sent to my hospital? She's from the East Rand. What happened to hospitals over there?
"We have serious issues like breast cancer that we are still attending to.
"Her condition simply means that she has fat in her breasts and that is not a major thing.
"There is no such a thing as that we have a shortage of staff at Bara."
Gauteng health department spokesman Simon Zwane said the woman's condition was not life-threatening.
"It is as an unintended consequence and result of continued use of ARV," Zwane explained.
"What she is asking for is a cosmetic surgical operation and unfortunately this cannot be prioritised above life-threatening and emergency surgical operations that our hospitals deal with daily.
"Just to illustrate the load that these hospitals have for instance, Chris Hani Baragwanath conducts six burns reconstruction on babies per month, repairs three cleft palates per week, conducts 20 operations on cancer patients per month and 15 to 20 trauma cases per month.
"This means doctors are in theatres for long periods daily conducting life-saving operations.
"Taking this into account and considering that her condition is not life-threatening, she will have to follow advice from the doctors and await their final decision," he said.
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