Lentswe, Klerksdorp - A new Cathlab was installed at Tshepong Hospital and is currently in its training phase. Dr Binu Luke, technical advisor to the Deputy Director General, told Lentswe that the first procedure was done on Tuesday March 26 when an emergency medical procedure needed to be done on a patient.
Cardiologist Dr Don Zachariah and his team of medics performed it on a patient who suffered a neck of femur fracture following a fall and who was admitted at Tshepong Hospital.
The patient had a complete heart block which causes blood pressure to drop.
“The team of specialists who were on basic training on the Cathlab jumped to action and Dr Zachariah together with a team consisting of clinical technologists and radiographers successfully implanted a pacemaker on the patient which turned out to be the first medical procedure of this kind at the facility,” said Prof Luke.
“What was good today was the coming together of the team and our efforts as the province and hospital has come to fruition, “said Dr Zachariah.
“To procedure consists of inserting one or more wires into a major vein under or near the collarbone. The doctor uses X-ray images to guide the wires to the heart. One end of each wire attaches to the proper area in the heart. The other end connects to the part of the pacemaker that delivers electrical pulses.”
The Cathlab is a R21 million project.
