Gauteng Health decreases surgeries backlog, but thousands still waiting

In January this year, around 32 000 patients were awaiting surgical procedures at public hospitals in Gauteng. As of this month, that number is at around 18 000.

The alarming figures have shed light on the extreme pressure South Africa’s public health system is under.

The patients have been waiting to undergo surgical procedures such as plastic surgery, neurosurgery, urology, orthopaedics, hernia repair, prostate biopsy, colostomy closures and many others.

In an effort to address the backlog, 32 public facilities participated in a ‘surgical marathon’ as part of the Gauteng Department of Health’s Mandela Day initiative.

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Target: 700 procedures

According to the Gauteng MEC for Health, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, the medical staff at the facilities were aiming to compete around 700 procedures on Tuesday.

“As of 7pm, 720 elective surgeries were carried out by the facilities that took part in the marathon,” she said.

“It is a job well done to the whole team. We set ourselves a target and we have been able to surpass that target. This milestone is a clear demonstration of the capacity we have within the Gauteng healthcare system.

“This demonstrates what can be achieved when we partner with multiple stakeholders to tackle issues confronting the healthcare system. The challenge we have set for the team now is replicating this success regularly through a series of marathons until we have eliminated the backlog,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko.

Thousands still waiting

Meanwhile, more than 17 000 patients still await surgical procedures.

In September last year, the National Department of Health reported that the number of individuals awaiting surgical procedures in public hospitals in South Africa had surged to a staggering 175 024.

It was reported that the Covid-19 pandemic had being the main contributing factor.

Contributing to the woes of the public health facilities in the country is the rolling blackouts that hospitals have been experiencing.

ALSO READ: ‘Government working to shield hospitals from load shedding’ – Ramokgopa

But Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has claimed that government is working to exempt healthcare facilities from load shedding.

Last month, he said that the government has already identified 213 hospitals that can be excluded from load shedding, with 76 already not experiencing power cuts and work on a further 46 underway.

 Additional reporting by Faizel Patel