Children needing surgery at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital will wait between six months and two years for surgery in some cases, says Gauteng health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi.
Mokgethi said 453 child patients will wait for paediatric surgery and 610 patients had cancelled operations.
Insufficient theatre time and the shortage of ICU beds are the major reasons for the cancellation of operations“I think these figures underestimate the true situation as it leaves out the long waiting periods for many patients to be diagnosed by a specialist before they are placed on the waiting lists for surgery,” he said.
“Insufficient theatre time and the shortage of ICU beds are the major reasons for the cancellation of operations. “Disruption from Covid-19 and the partial closure of the hospital due to the fire in April last year are other factors. This highlights the need to fully reopen the hospital as soon as possible, and to expend the operating theatre and ICU capacity to drastically cut the surgery waiting lists.”