The SA Registrars' Association has insisted that doctors at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital were forced to perform surgery by cellphone light, despite denials by the health department.

The association's chairman Dr Langanani Mbodi said the electricity went out on Friday while doctors were about to deliver a baby by caesarean section.

Mbodi had received this information from doctors at the hospital.

"The mother was opened and doctors had to take the baby out," he told The Star.

"They couldn't stop, because the mother would have bled to death and the baby would have died."

A battery-operated torch and a cellphone light were used to complete the operation.

Another patient on a ventilator was kept alive by a staff member who had to manually pump the oxygen sack for about 30 minutes, after a back-up battery gave in, Mbodi said.

Mbodi applauded the doctors on duty who kept the patients alive.

On Monday, the Gauteng health department denied that operations were affected by the power outage.

"The power outage happened at 2am and the power was restored about two hours later, and in that period there were no operations taking place," said spokesman Simon Zwane.

A newspaper reported on Monday that operations had to be carried out with the use of cellphone light. Above the story was a picture of doctors carrying out an operation in the dark.

"That is a misleading picture to create a wrong impression," said Zwane.

"It is wrong. They are using old pictures to create a non-existent impression about the situation that was attended to and was immediately corrected."

Asked if the hospital had in the past used cellphone lighting during operations, Zwane said: "I don't know where they got the picture from."

"Hospital management has not found any evidence to support that claim."

He said the hospital was not to blame for the power outages.

"The power outages cannot be blamed on the hospital. They occur in the electricity supply network that affects the entire area where the hospital is situated."

Comments

• Sign in or sign up to comment

Wed Jun 19 06:08:55 SAST 2013 ::

Sep 11, 2012

malemaforpresident

And Service Delivery is exceptional [said Zoooma] Nxaaa
Report Abuse

Sep 11, 2012

Serene

"The power outages cannot be blamed on the hospital. They occur in the electricity supply network that affects the entire area where the hospital is situated."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is the hospita;l not supposed to have a generator? what to happen to life support machines if the power goes off?
Report Abuse

Sep 11, 2012

malemaforpresident

Serene
"The power outages cannot be blamed on the hospital. They occur in the electricity supply network that affects the entire area where the hospital is situated."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is the hospita;l not supposed to have a generator? what to happen to life support machines if the power goes off?
=====================================
suspect funeral undertakers and the management of the hospital are cell phones nowadays life support machines? Nxaaa
Report Abuse

Sep 11, 2012

MommaC

When you look at the conditions that our doctors work under and the sad salaries they get, it is a wonder that we have any at all. Bless them all.
Report Abuse

Sep 11, 2012

swona

Hope must also take his kids to Bara when they are sick!
Report Abuse

Sep 11, 2012

Flemza

They must be thankful in other places there is no surgery at all , if there is , it`s performed under match stick light , so what are these people complaining for , other people are never thankful
Report Abuse

Sep 11, 2012

MmaSeshego

Flemza what makes you think tha those people "performing surgery under matchstick light" are not complaining? We are not a third world country and we cannot expect people to work under such conditions when there's people who do not want to take responsibility for their actions. even those unfortunate institutions that get to operate under appauling conditions cannot be left like that. indeed a hospital is expected to have a generator that is fully operatioal, well maintained and fueled for such instances.
Report Abuse

Sep 11, 2012

Papage

Flemza
They must be thankful in other places there is no surgery at all , if there is , it`s performed under match stick light , so what are these people complaining for , other people are never thankful


You are talking Kak Boet, wish it could be you on that bed with cell phone light
Report Abuse

Sep 11, 2012

eltybots

jus when ur president said himself gore dey offer the best services than any other country in africa but u r using cellphone.wey r backup generators.

Report Abuse

Sep 11, 2012

Papage

Another - points for Zuma (services are great speech)
Report Abuse

Read all 13 comments