Note to Editors: Attached please find a soundbite in English by Dr Jack Bloom MPL here.
More than 3000 operations have been cancelled at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital since January last year. This is one in every four scheduled procedures, causing immense suffering for patients, many of whom wait more than a year for surgery.
These shocking figures are disclosed by Gauteng Health MEC Faith Mazibuko in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.
A total of 3050 operations were cancelled, including 596 for General Surgery, 590 for Paediatrics, 470 for Vascular and Hands Surgery, 249 for ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat), and 235 for Urology.
The cancellation rate has stabilised around 23-25%, well above the target of below 15%. According to the MEC, key drivers include a shortage of ICU/High Care beds for aftercare, as well as “recurring infrastructure issues and persistent staffing shortages”. Patient-related factors – such as not being ready, failing to show up, or refusing surgery – also contribute.
The impact is severe:
• Delayed access to definitive surgical care and growing surgical backlogs.
• Prolonged waiting periods beyond clinically safe timeframes.
• Increased risk of disease progression and complications.
• Extended hospital stays without intervention.
Orthopaedics has the worst backlog, with 1773 patients waiting between 6 to 18 months for surgery.
Behind these numbers are real people in pain, their lives on hold while they wait for sight to be restored, limbs repaired, tumours removed, or disfigurements corrected. Most distressing is the 490 children still waiting for operations.
This crisis at a flagship hospital demands urgent action. The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng will continue to push for the filling of critical vacancies and equipment upgrades, including more ICU beds, to reduce cancellations and cut the backlogs.