Within South Africa's beleaguered public health sector - unsettled by budget cuts, understaffing, and divisive NHI legislation - cutting edge surgical robots that have been used to perform more than 600 surgeries at two Cape Town public hospitals are beacons of excellence that offer a glimmer of hope.
Gys tells Spotlight:"The next day the sisters offered to wash me, I said to them 'no, I'm not helpless.' My recovery was very quick. I was up and about in no time, while the other patients had to be assisted. I was discharged on day four, and back at home I could even continue doing my own chores." On that day, also in the operating room was colorectal surgeon Dr Roger Gerjy, keeping an eye."He's a very well-known robotic surgeon; a Swedish surgeon who works in Dubai," says Forgan."And if there was a problem, Roger would've taken over. He was also there to impart tips and tricks: move the instrument like this, shape it like a hockey stick; because with the robot it's like having your whole arm inside .
Inside the small blindingly white room, Forgan points out the three core components of the da Vinci system. There is a console with two control levers similar to refined joysticks - he demonstrates how to delicately hold them between forefingers and thumbs - a patient-side cart with four interactive metal arms , and another trolley with a television screen. All connected by blue fibre optic cables.