Note Editors: Attached please find a soundbite in English by Dr Jack Bloom MPL here.
Patients can wait up to ten years for hip surgery in Gauteng public hospitals which have 26 295 patients on all the surgery waiting lists.
This shocking information is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Faith Mazibuko in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.
The longest waiting times are for hip replacement surgery at major hospitals including the Chris Hani Baragwanath, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg, Helen Joseph, Tembisa, Kalafong and Sebokeng hospitals. Their patients can wait between 3 and 10 years for this surgery.
Surprisingly, smaller hospitals like Mamelodi, Edenvale, Leratong and Far East Rand have the shortest waiting times for hip surgery, and the Steve Biko Hospital also has better waiting times for this specialty.
I know of a patient at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital who has been told her knee operation will be done in in six years’ time in July 2032!
Although cataract surgery is simpler and quicker, many smaller hospitals have shorter waiting times for cataract removal than the major facilities.
The department says the increase of patients on waiting lists is due to shortages of staff, equipment, and consumables, and increased referrals to tertiary and central hospitals. Linen shortages are also a problem, as well as the constant breakage of chillers which leads to uncontrollable theatre temperatures.
I suspect the official waiting lists understate the real need as many patients are still waiting to see a specialist to place them on the list, and the department acknowledges incomplete digitalisation of backlog cases.
This huge surgical backlog exposes a health system in crisis. It is unacceptable that patients endure years of pain and disability while waiting for surgery. Delayed treatment often leads to worsening conditions and higher long-term costs.
Although the department cites measures such as weekend surgical marathons and increased clinician recruitment, these are not new and have yet to make a meaningful dent in the backlog.
The DA will push to ensure that sufficient resources are devoted to theatres to run smoothly without cancellations due to mismanagement and poor maintenance.