14 Aug 2013

There are no cancer patients awaiting surgery at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital, Health assistant minister, Mr Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri, has said.

“However, the hospital has about 56 patients with pre-cancerous lesions and gynaecological problems that are on the waiting list for minor and major surgical procedures.”

Responding to a question in Parliament from Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi, Mr Matlhabaphiri explained that the patients were waiting for further management either by loop electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) or for total abdominal hysterectomy.

He said patients who had confirmed cancerous lesions were managed immediately either by radiotherapy or by chemotherapy, adding that priority was given to managing cancer patients. 

In addition, Mr Matlhabaphiri said the hospital offered screening by Visual Inspection using Acetic Acid VIA, also known as see and treat, and treatment by Cryotherapy on a daily basis. 

“Patients requiring further management are referred to the LEEP Clinics that are held every Tuesday and Friday. Histopathology confirmation of cancerous lesions takes about a month and thereafter definitive treatment takes place,” he explained.

He added that patient recall and follow-up continued to challenge the health system.

To address this,  several initiatives were ongoing, one of which was to link the Integrated Patient Management System in all hospitals and clinics in greater Gaborone and greater Francistown and those with maternities to enable them to closely monitor and manage patients.

Once functional, Mr Matlhabaphiri said, “we should also be able to easily quantify the number of patients that died (if any), whilst awaiting further management. Currently, there is no system that tracks such patients,” he concluded.

Mr Mmolotsi had asked the minister to provide a list of cancer patients awaiting operation at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital, how long they had been waiting and how many had since died before being operated on. ENDS