Strengthening surgical systems in SA’s biggest and most sparsely populated province Improving the surgical capacity of hospitals in rural areas would help many people have better access to care, says professor Kathryn Chu 07 May 2021 Image: Supplied/Discovery Foundation
In 2019, professor Kathryn Chu, 49, visited the department of surgery at the Dr Harry Surtie Hospital in Upington to teach the Stellenbosch medical students doing their year-long rural training. That was when she realised that the hospital surgeon, Dr Willem Smith, was essentially working alone.
Together they identified gaps in the healthcare system, which, if addressed in the right way, could improve surgical services for patients in the large district the hospital serves.