BROKEN CATH LAB HITS HEART PATIENTS AT BARA HOSPITAL 

Doctors at the heart unit at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital have battled to open patients' blocked arteries for the past two weeks because of a broken Catheterization Laboratory machine.

About 100 patients have been affected, including many children. The only alternative has been to use drugs to try and unblock arteries instead of using a stent to physically open the artery.

A stent is a tube placed in the coronary arteries that supply the heart to keep the arteries open in the treatment of coronary heart disease. Stents reduce chest pain and have been shown to improve survivability in the event of heart attacks.

The problem is that there is no service agreement to repair the Cath Lab when it breaks, so there are serious delays when it breaks.

Suppliers have also not been paid, which makes them reluctant to repair equipment.

This is yet another example of the maintenance crisis in Gauteng hospitals that is putting patients at risk.

Last year the heart unit was hit by a severe shortage of catheters.

It appears that doctors may be able to use a fixed Cath Lab today, but the past two weeks have been traumatic as they have struggled to use other means to treat heart patients.

Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Health Spokesman, June 6 2011

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