Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has been forced to reveal that 38 164 patients are waiting for surgery in Gauteng hospitals despite claiming in recent interviews that all surgical backlogs have been cleared.
According to an official written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature, the largest waiting list is 7366 patients at Steve Biko Hospital.
Other hospitals with massive surgery lists include the following:
• Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital – 4958 patients
• George Mukhari Hospital- 4627 patients
• Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital – 3777 patients
• Tshwane District Hospital – 2531 patients
• Kalafong Hospital – 1982 patients
• Tembisa Hospital – 1950 patients
• Helen Joseph Hospital – 1657 patients
• Mamelodi Hospital – 1565 patients
• Sebokeng Hospital – 1402 patients
The longest waiting time is five years for hip replacement surgery at the Chris Hani Baragwanath, Steve Biko, Kalafong and Helen Joseph hospitals. But hip patients at the Edenvale and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg will only wait 9 months for surgery.
The shortest waiting time for a cataract operation is 4 to 5 months at the Edenvale and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg hospitals, while others are mostly one year, and there is a two year wait at the Mamelodi Hospital.
Despite the Health MEC claiming that surgical marathons and other measures have cleared the surgery backlogs, they have actually increased by nearly 2000 since the 36 237 patients on waiting lists reported in February last year.
The major reasons for the long waiting lists include staff vacancies, a shortage of ICU beds for aftercare, limited theatre time, infrastructure problems, and water and power cuts.
It is disgraceful that the Gauteng provincial government cannot run a decent health service despite an enormous budget of R64.8 billion, much of which is wasted due to corruption and mismanagement.
This shows the disaster that would happen with the billions of rand needed to implement the NHI that has just been signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Voters who want improved public hospitals in Gauteng should vote the DA into power so we can follow the example of the Western Cape Health Department which has received five successive clean audits from the Auditor-General.