By Mapaballo Borotho
- Gauteng Health says it is working to reduce surgery waiting times despite a backlog of over 30,000 patients.
- The Department is introducing reforms, expanding capacity and extending operating hours to address delays.
- It has also rejected claims that patients are waiting months for critical surgeries.
Is your loved one waiting for surgery in a Gauteng hospital? That might soon be a thing of the past, and here’s why.
Gauteng Health has assured the public that it is working around the clock to reduce waiting times for surgical procedures and improve equitable access to care across the public hospital system.
The Department says it is using a combination of digital innovation, expanded surgical capacity and targeted reforms to advance a more efficient, transparent, patient-centred surgical service throughout the province.
This comes as the backlog currently stands at approximately 30,600 patients awaiting various surgical procedures.
“Of this total, approximately 29,969 cases are classified as legacy backlog cases, while 631 represent current cases awaiting scheduling under routine service flow. The backlog reflects sustained system pressures over recent times, particularly the accumulation of legacy cases.
These include increased referrals to tertiary and central hospitals, infrastructure and equipment constraints, workforce limitations and external disruptions such as water supply challenges experienced in parts of the province in 2025, which contributed to surgical cancellations and delays,” said the Gauteng Department of Health in a statement.
Earlier this month, the Democratic Alliance in Gauteng reported that patients at OR Tambo Memorial Hospital in the City of Ekurhuleni are waiting up to two months for life-changing surgeries, raising concerns over delays in critical care.
However, the Gauteng Department of Health has rejected these claims.
The Department confirmed that hospitals are extending operating hours over weekends and after hours to conduct high-volume surgical marathons focused on priority procedures.
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