Neelam Rahim / neelam@radioislam.co.za

2 min read
31 January 2023 / 21:51 pm CAT

Photo Credit: The Citizen

More than 36-thousand patients are on the waiting lists for operations in Gauteng public hospitals, with a waiting period of five years for some types of surgery. Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko revealed this in a written reply to questions by Gauteng Health spokesperson Jack Bloom.

In an interview with Radio Islam International, Bloom said. At the same time, Covid can be blamed for disrupting many scheduled surgeries. The real problem has resulted from corruption and efficiency within the Gauteng Health Department for many years.

“They can do so much more with the resources they have, but too much is spent badly or simply stolen,” he added.

According to Bloom, the real tragedy is the only way the waiting list shortens is because people die before they have their operation. He said some of the operations are for cancer and are not just a quality of life but a life-saving measure.

In Bloom’s opinion, an effort to expedite the worst backlogs should be considered a quality-of-life issue for thousands of patients in the province.

“We need to ensure direction of resources in order to alleviate suffering,” he added.

Listen to the interview with Annisah Essack and Jack Bloom on Radio Islam’s podcast.