The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on theatre use at the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital

Abstract

Background: SARS-COV-2, the viral pathogen that resulted in the COVID-19 pandemic, was first identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 31 December 2019. Efforts to curb the spread of this virus, as well as the effects of viral infections and resulting  complications thereof, have placed immense strain on healthcare systems throughout the world. In South Africa, a nationwide lockdown  was instituted on 27 March 2020 which resulted in the suspension of all elective surgical services. The effect of this suspension of services  has not been fully elucidated, but it has been postulated that a significant surgical backlog may have been created due to limited  resources and massive pre-existing patient loads.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective descriptive review of theatre records at the  Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital (RMMCH) for the time period 1 March 2019 to 28 February 2021.

Results: A total of 8 176 cases  amounting to 9 656 hours and 20 minutes of theatre time occurred from 1 March 2019 to 29 February 2020 (pre-COVID-19). From 1 March  2020 to 28 February 2021 (post-COVID-19), a total of 7 717 cases amounting to 9 148 hours and 2 minutes were conducted. This  calculated to a 5.61% reduction in cases and a 5.26% reduction in theatre hours. There was a statistically significant reduction in theatre  use both in terms of cases done and hours of theatre time after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion: The onset of the  COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced the number of cases completed at the RMMCH. It also led to a significant reduction in total  theatre use. Both of these findings were most pronounced in elective gynaecology and paediatric surgery services. There was, however,  no statistically significant increase in intensive care unit (ICU) and high care (HC) admissions as well as mortalities for the period studied.