The Professional Provident Society (PPS) has added its support to the annual Surgical Marathon in honour of Mandela Day on 18 July 2024 in partnership with African Synergy Health (ASH) a not-for-profit organisation that focuses on expanding access to health by reducing surgical waiting lists. PPS has contributed financially to the initiative along with scrubs and hats for the surgical teams.
As part of honouring the Mandela Day call to be of service to others, ASH aims to perform 67 urological and general surgical procedures in Gauteng and Eastern Cape, two provinces that have some of the longest waiting lists in public hospitals. The goal is to keep growing annually to include all provinces. The Founder of the initiative, Dr Viola Morolo says: “The mission is to address the exponential waiting lists in the public sector and to restore the dignity of patients whose medical conditions have impacted their lives.”
Over 100 doctors including 40 specialists in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng will perform the surgeries at no cost between 5 and 19 July 2024 with the goal of reducing surgical waiting lists in public hospitals. The procedures will be performed at public academic hospitals as well as private hospitals.
“Patients should not have to wait months to get operated on, because in most cases the longer you wait, the more the disease progresses leading to pain, trauma and in some cases ultimately death. We are honoured to be part of such an important initiative where professionals are going beyond the call of duty to improve the healthcare system for all South Africans,” says Ayanda Seboni, Group Executive: Mutuality at PPS.
Participating hospitals in the Eastern Cape include Frere, Hospital, Cure Day Beacon Bay, Life Beacon Bay, Royal Buffalo Specialist Hospital and Cecelia Makiwane Hospital. Hospitals in Gauteng include Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Urology Hospital and Advanced Health in Groenkloof.
“For healthcare systems to function effectively, it requires the involvement of the public and private sector. Healthcare lies close to our heart at PPS where we believe that success is better, shared. Many of our graduate professionals are in the medical and healthcare professions and are a vital lifeline to many South Africans without the means or access to quality healthcare.
“In the spirit of this year’s Mandela Day theme of Joining hands, connecting communities, we are joining PPS’s hands with surgeons in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng to help those in need of surgery to reconnect with their communities. PPS is honoured to contribute to this laudable initiative to assist these surgical warriors and their teams in their quest to perform 67 surgeries in 10 days in recognition of Mandela Day,” she concludes.
The ASH Mandela Week Surgical Marathon officially started in Gauteng on 5 July 2024.
Surgeries commenced in the Eastern Cape on 8 July, concluding on 12 July. Among the urological and specialist procedures performed were circumcisions, Bilateral Orchidectomies, Bilateral Orchidectomy + TRP, URS and laser procedures, the removal of a DJ stent, Rezum procedures, and DVIU’s.
Surgeries in Gauteng continued 15 July and will conclude on 19 July. Among surgeries already conducted are 4 robot assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomies. This is an advanced global goal standard treatment in eligible patients with prostate cancer which the highest diagnosed cancer in men in South Africa.
