Steve Biko Hospital faces biggest surgical backlog in Gauteng

Gauteng’s public healthcare system is grappling with a significant surgical backlog, with over 34 000 patients awaiting procedures as of January. Of these, almost 16 000 patients are awaiting procedures at Pretoria hospitals.

This concerning figure was revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko in response to questions posed by Jack Bloom, the DA’s Shadow Health MEC in the Gauteng Legislature.

The largest waiting list is 6 764 patients at the Steve Biko Hospital, followed by the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (6 232), George Mukhari Hospital in Ga-Rankuwa (5 354), and 3 315 patients at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital.

Other hospitals with large waiting lists in Pretoria include Mamelodi Hospital with 2 016 patients and the Kalafong Hospital with 1 861 patients.

Bloom expressed concern that the actual number of patients waiting for surgery may be higher, as the figures provided cover only 17 out of 37 public hospitals in Gauteng.

He also noted that many operations were cancelled towards the end of the financial year in March due to budget constraints.

The waiting times for various surgeries vary significantly across hospitals.

For instance, patients at Kalafong Hospital face a five-year wait for hip replacement surgery, while those at George Mukhari Hospital wait three to six months for the same procedure.

Similarly, cataract surgery patients at Mamelodi and Yusuf Dadoo hospitals endure waits of up to two years, whereas at Leratong Hospital, the wait is only one to two months.

MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko attributed the long waiting times to factors such as a high turnover of patients to Gauteng province and the prioritisation of trauma cases over elective surgeries.

She also acknowledged that load-shedding and water shortages have led to cancellations and postponements of surgeries.

A patient awaiting surgery who spoke to Rekord on conditions of anonymity and who has been awaiting his surgery for two years at Steve Biko Hospital, said that the actual operation date and operation procedure are not the only problems. The lead-up to the operation is also problematic.

“At every stage until the promised operation, there are problems. To get an appointment to get X-rays, and then to get an appointment with a doctor to make a diagnosis. And then to actually get a date for the operation, while you are enduring chronic pain and your condition is deteriorating, that is part of the intense frustration.”

This patient eventually decided to drop off the surgery list and raise money on his own to be able to get the necessary surgery.

“You play with your own life just by waiting for an appointment on your way to possible surgery.”

Bloom emphasised the need for effective use of the healthcare budget to ensure adequate staffing and equipment to permanently reduce the waiting lists.

During the re-tabling of the Budget of the Gauteng Provincial Government for the 2025/26 financial year on June 3, the Gauteng Department of Health’s allocation amounts to R67.1-billion, and a total of R141.9-billion over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework.

Gauteng MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, said in his budget speech that this will be used to strengthen the public health system to deliver patient-centred, equitable care. Particularly in under-served communities through the modernisation of infrastructure, digitisation of health records, improving governance mechanisms and capacity building to tackle effectively both communicable and non-communicable diseases.

As winter approaches, patients in several Gauteng public hospitals are also facing inadequate heating systems.

Bloom reported receiving complaints about cold temperatures at hospitals, including Steve Biko, Pretoria West, and Kalafong.

Hospital management has stated that there is no budget to fix the heating systems, affecting some wards and sometimes the entire hospital.

“Imagine being sick and freezing in bed or washing in icy water. This is a disgrace. It is inhumane to treat sick and vulnerable people so poorly,” said Bloom.

Solidarity’s medical network co-ordinator, Pierru Marx, has expressed his concern that the National Health Insurance (NHI) will not address the surgical backlog in Gauteng hospitals, as its initial implementation focuses on integrating clinics and general practitioners into the new system.

He emphasised that the backlog is due to factors such as a lack of infrastructure maintenance, ineffective hospital management, and the proliferation of corruption.

Marx believes that until South Africa’s healthcare system prioritises self-sufficiency, proper staffing, and eradicates corruption, the decline in hospitals and systems will persist.

He also pointed out that the legal processes surrounding the NHI’s legitimacy and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to sign it into law have already incurred nearly R10-million in legal costs.

Marx views this as another instance of politicians and high-ranking officials exploiting a system to achieve their own objectives.

Ramaphosa petitioned the Constitutional Court late in May to appeal a High Court ruling that ordered him to disclose the record of his decision to sign the NHI Bill into law.

The High Court had determined that the decision was reviewable, requiring transparency about the factors influencing his decision.

Ramaphosa contends that providing this record is not legally mandated and asserts that various considerations, including legal advice, are involved in the decision-making process.

He argues that such documents may be privileged and have not been previously required to be disclosed.

He maintains that withholding the record does not obstruct constitutional challenges to the NHI Act, as avenues for such challenges remain available.

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