KLERKSDORP – A 36-year-old Vryburg resident, Mr Mosemanegape Jacobs, is recovering well after becoming the first patient to undergo a life-saving mitral valve replacement surgery at the Klerksdorp-Tshepong Hospital Complex (KTHC).

The complex five-hour operation, performed on Thursday , 11 June 2026, marks a major milestone for public healthcare in the North West Province and has given Mr Jacobs a second chance at life.

A mitral valve is one of the heart’s key valves responsible for controlling blood flow. When the valve becomes damaged, narrowed, or starts leaking, the heart is forced to work much harder to pump blood throughout the body. If left untreated, the condition can lead to serious health complications and even death.

To save Mr Jacobs’ life, specialist doctors replaced the damaged valve with an artificial one, allowing his heart to function properly again.

The surgery was carried out by a multidisciplinary team of cardiologists, surgeons, anaesthetists and theatre staff from Klerksdorp-Tshepong Hospital Complex, working alongside specialists from Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and the University of the Witwatersrand.

According to the North West Department of Health, Mr Jacobs is currently recovering in the Intensive Care Unit at Tshepong Hospital. He is reported to be in a stable condition, fully conscious and no longer dependent on life-support systems.

North West Health MEC Sello Lehari described the operation as a breakthrough for healthcare in the province, saying it demonstrates the growing ability of local hospitals to provide advanced, life-saving treatment closer to home.

According to the Department, for communities such as Vryburg and surrounding areas, the achievement means that patients requiring highly specialised heart procedures may increasingly be able to access treatment within the province instead of travelling hundreds of kilometres to hospitals elsewhere in South Africa.

The successful surgery is being hailed as a significant step forward in improving specialist healthcare services in the North West and restoring hope to patients facing serious heart conditions.

-The VIP Team 

-NW DoH

-Tshepong Hospital