A Limpopo public hospital, Mankweng, has successfully performed its first open heart surgery.  Provincial Health MEC, Phophi Ramathuba, says the three-hour operation was performed on a 42-year-old female patient who had a tumor in the heart. The team was led by Professor Lucas Mohlala. In the past, patients who needed such operations were transferred to  hospitals in Gauteng.

Ramathuba says she’s happy about improvements in public health facilities.

“We are on the right path towards restoring the quality of public health care in our province. Our patients here have been struggling because most of the time when you have conditions like this one you were forced to be transferred to either George Mukhari sometimes Steve Biko, so this ground breaking operations is going to restore that particular public confidence in our system.”