Gauteng Health MEC, Bandile Masuku, says the department is working towards decreasing the waiting period for surgeries at public hospitals.
Nearly 6000 patients are awaiting surgery at Gauteng’s major academic hospitals. More than 4000 have been registered at George Mukhari Academic Hospital and close to 2000 at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital.
Transplant patients could expect to wait up to three years, while others could wait between six and 12 months. Masuku says they are working with the private healthcare sector to deal with the backlog.
“We have a plan on how we are going to reduce this issue of the waiting times. We are going to try and model how strategic purchasing would be under the NHI – we are going to start doing that now. We have already started engaging with different hospital groups to try and get them to agree on availing their theatres for us to deal with the backlog. We are also discussing with practitioners and surgeons in private healthcare who also say they would be available to assist us.”
