800 patients across Gauteng wait for orthopaedic operations
JOBURG - DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC Jack Bloom has said about 800 patients are currently on the waiting list for orthopaedic operations in Gauteng hospitals, and some of them will wait up to three years for hip replacement surgery.
This was disclosed on 2 September by Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu in an oral reply to Bloom’s questions in the Gauteng Legislature. According to Mahlangu, emergency orthopaedic surgeries used to be performed daily and patients had to wait no longer than 14 days. Mahlangu said people lost mobility when operations were delayed and the department apologised for this.
The backlog is due to a lack of ICU beds for post-operative recovery, the cancellation of surgeries due to broken machinery and a shortage of clean linen.
Bloom stated that he welcomed the MEC’s announcement that the department is finalising a plan to wipe out the surgery backlog. This will require extra theatre time, more intensive care beds and collaboration with the private health sector.
