The Gauteng Department of Health says it has prioritised the fast-tracking of critical and advanced medical procedures.
The department says there are currently over 30 000 people on waiting lists.
Gauteng Department of Health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba says they hope to reduce the surgical backlogs through the utilisation of cluster hospital theatres and collaborations, as well as filling critical vacant posts.
“Currently the province has just over 32 000 patients at all public hospitals who are on the waiting lists for various procedures. The majority of which are elective surgeries.”
“The waiting period ranges from weeks and months for some, depending on the procedure. You have people that are waiting for organ transplant and this is dependent on donor availability and type of case and as such, it takes to take longer,” adds Modiba.
