THE Save Haslar Taskforce has welcomed the plan to bring 100 South African nurses and surgeons to carry out hip and knee operations at the Gosport Hospital.
Spokesman Peter Edgar said the move proved once again Royal Hospital Haslar's vital role in treating people from across our communities and reducing waiting lists.
"Haslar has been used like this for the last 20 to 30 years, helping to reduce the pressure when there is a crisis," he said.
"Here is a hospital that the MoD wants to walk away from in 2007. Even with the escalating demand the threat of closure still hangs over it."
The South African contingent will carry out up to 1,000 orthopaedic operations. They will live on the Haslar site and the scheme is due to run from October 13 until April 2 next year. Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is overseeing the project with Netcare Healthcare UK.
Netcare builds on the ongoing European Team initiative at Haslar, where orthopaedic surgeons from German hospitals are already undertaking day case operations.
They carried out the first operations in June 2003 and plan to have completed a total of 240 by the end of the year.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article