“780 opereations cancelled at Charlotte Maxeke hospital as 2677 patients wait for surgery” DA Shadow health MEC Jack Bloom

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Photo: Jack Bloom twitter

Gauteng Health Department still finds itself in the spotlight from wrong reasons with a backlog of medical appointments backdating from as late as last year.

A month ago the Department made news following the precautionary suspension of Paediatrician and gastroenterologist Dr Tim de Maayer from Johannesburg’s Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital after blowing a whistle about the heavy burden and workload they face as staff for reasons out of their control.

Sometimes being lack of resources.

Now it has been revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi in a written reply to in the Gauteng Legislature that over 780 operations that were cancelled at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital last year.

MEC Mokgethi was responding to DA shadow health MPL Jack Bloom.

As a result of the backlog, the Department saw a worsening long waiting lists for surgery which has grown to 2677 patients.

Paediatric surgery was the most affected, with 610 cancelled operations. The other cancellations were as follows:
• 80 Cardiothoracic ops cancelled
• 40 Gastrointestinal ops cancelled
• 25 Breast clinic, Endocrine and Soft Tissue ops cancelled
• 20 Neurosurgery ops cancelled
• 10 Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) ops cancelled
The largest waiting list is for Orthopaedics, with 833 patients who could wait up to two years for surgery.
Paediatric surgery has 453 child patients who will wait between 6 months and two years.

“There are 200 cataract patients who will wait between 6 and 8 months for surgery, 137 neurosurgery patients will wait for six months, and 109 urology patients will wait between 4 and 6 months.”

“I think these figures underestimate the true situation as it does not include the long waiting periods for many patients to be diagnosed by a specialist before they are placed on the waiting lists for surgery.”

“Insufficient theatre time and the shortage of ICU beds are the major reasons for the cancellation of operations.”

Bloom also said that the disruption from Covid-19 and the partial closure of the hospital due to the fire in April last year are other factors.

“It’s particularly upsetting that many children suffer from the surgery delays.”