06 Aug 2013

The Ministry of Health is not aware that there is a backlog of results for patients who have been operated on in June 2010.

Answering a question in Parliament on August 5, the Assistant Minister of Health, Mr Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri said of all the 8 043 slide specimens from the 2 066 patients, all the results had been dispatched to Sekgoma Memorial Hospital for dispatch to the patients.

Parliament was informed that last week Thursday, all the outstanding 170 results were dispatched to the hospital. Mr Matlhabaphiri said his ministry had engaged a company called INDUS Health Care from India to perform the operations, with the aim of reducing the surgery backlog that was evident.

The assistant minister said it took about one to two weeks for the hospital to trace and then inform patients of their results. He also indicated that they expected that patients whose samples were received last week would be notified before end of this month.

The MP for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi had asked the minister whether he was aware that the cancer patients who underwent operations in Serowe in June 2012 had still not received their results. He also wanted to know where the doctors who performed the operations came from; and whether he would give time lines on when the results would be given to patients. ENDS