Question NW2415 to the Minister of Health

Province

Total number of backlogs on surgeries

Eastern Cape

5373

Free State

1923

Gauteng

13433

KwaZulu Natal

Waiting for response

Limpopo

4229

Mpumalanga

190

North West

5531

Northern Cape

Waiting for response

Western Cape

77139

Gauteng Province

Hospital Name

(b)What steps have been taken to deal with the backlogs

Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic hospital,

Charlotte Maxeke Academic hospital,

Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital,

Steve Biko Academic Hospital,

Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital,

Kalafong Provincial Tertiary Hospital,

Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital

Chris Hani Baragwanath

• There is a plan to purchase 1 boiler or convert existing ones from coal to gas

• Contractors sourced to repair and maintain tunnel washers

• Purchasing disposable linen to compensate for the shortfalls

• Electronic theatre booking system

• Contractor appointed for repair and maintained Autoclaves

• Two additional gas sterilizers have been ordered

• Appointing a dedicated clinical Manager to oversee all 46 theatre efficiencies

• Washing linen outside (privately) or using Masakhane, Danswart, Edenvale Laundry services, etc.

• From the local DID information, the plans are aligned with the presentation

Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital

• District outreach surgical teams provide services once a week per quarter and spent time in a district conducting various surgeries utilising all hospitals (Rural Health Matters campaign).

• A team of volunteers (orthopaedics and anaesthetics) from other provinces form part of the outreach teams.

• Through the National Health Insurance Grant, public patients are taken to accredited private service providers (hospitals) where surgery is conducted as part of addressing the surgical backlog.

Dr George Mukhari Academic hospital

• In- and outreach activities for procedures that can be done at a lower level of care will be planned once our Covid numbers are declining on a regular basis.

• Surgical department’s theatre allocations have been reduced due to the shortage of staff. Surgical bookings and scheduled operations are cancelled, and the ones admitted are postponed and have to wait longer for their operations in the ward.

• Theatre has 14 posts in-active: 4 vacant consultant posts and 6 registrar post (Maternity) and 4 vacant medical officer posts (Interviewed April and awaiting appointment).

• Outreach is only done if the cluster hospital allocates the anaesthetist otherwise the bookings will be cancelled.

Steve Biko Academic hospital

• Utilizing other facilities within the cluster for procedure appropriate to each hospital

Tembisa hospital

• Resumed all Elective Surgery post COVID waves/ surge

• Re-purposed and re-allocated COVID Theatre back to General surgery, and re-allocated a second theatre for Ophthalmology

• We also re-purposed COVID wards to increase post-operative care space

• Conducted Cataract Blitz for a week (25-29 October 2021) and achieved a total of 74 cataract operations

• Allocated extra theatre on Fridays for Urology

• Renovation of Burn’s Theatre to increase the number of functional theatres

• Allocated an extra Community Service Medical Officer for Anaesthesia

Kalafong hospital

• Dedicate specific “catch-up” days e.g., surgical cataract marathons in Ophthalmology.

• Additional Orthopaedics list on Fridays.

• Weekly Urology, ENT, Ophthalmology lists.

• Optimization of theatre utilization in collaboration with cluster hospitals (Pretoria West District Hospital).

• Constant supervision on change over times in between cases not to be more than 10 minutes, thereby improving the efficiency.

• Rescheduling of elective surgeries; Planning to increase High Care Unit beds;

• Beefing up of human resource through sessional appointments for specialists and nursing agencies for nurses.

Rahima Moosa Hospital

• Theatre time allocating for the year organized in blitz weeks.

• Workable additional plant to operate at Yusuf Dadoo and South Rand Hospital requires appointment of medical officers in surgery and anaesthesia for mobile teams to these institutions.

Limpopo Province

Hospital Name

(b)What steps have been taken to deal with the backlogs

Letaba,

Mokopane,

Philadelphia

St Ritas

Tshilidzini

Mankweng

Pietersburg

• District outreach surgical teams provide services once a week per quarter and spent time in a district conducting various surgeries utilising all hospitals (Rural Health Matters campaign).

• A team of volunteers (orthopaedics and anaesthetics) from other provinces form part of the outreach teams.

• Through the National Health Insurance Grant, public patients are taken to accredited private service providers (hospitals) where surgery is conducted as part of addressing the surgical backlog.

• Lists of patients are coordinated by the tertiary hospitals that have the overall information on patients that need surgery.

Mpumalanga Province

Hospital Name

(b)What steps have been taken to deal with the backlogs

Rob Ferreira

Witbank

Mapulaneng

Themba

Ermelo

• The hospitals have rescheduled all non-emergency operations.

• The suspension of operating non-emergency cases was lifted, and operations are back to normal.

• Shortage of specialists however also contribute to the backlog.

• The tertiary hospitals conduct outreach service where minor orthopaedic operations in the district hospitals are performed.

Northwest Province

Hospital Name

(b)What steps have been taken to deal with the backlogs

Klerksdorp/Tshepong

Job Shimankana Tabane

Mafikeng Provincial

Joe Morolong Memorial

Potchefstroom

• Implementation of surgical blitz

• Providing theatre services during the weekends and extended hours to reduce backlogs

• Utilization of all available theatres to improve efficiency

• Public/Private partnership where it is feasible

Free State Province

Hospital Name

(b)What steps have been taken to deal with the backlogs

Universitas

Pelonomi

Dihlabeng

Bongani

• Monthly monitoring of waiting time

• Marathons arranged if department notices backlog

• Patient education to ensure patients show up for appointments

• A team on call for emergency theatres

• Sometimes using theatre at private hospitals

• Recruitment of additional staff

• Increase of theatre time

• Prioritizing according to severity or quality of life

• Conducting Blitz over weekends

• Outreach to district hospitals

Eastern Cape Province

Hospital Name

(b)What steps have been taken to deal with the backlogs

Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital

Livingstone hospital

Port Elizabeth Provincial hospital

Frere Hospital

Cecilia Makiwane Hospital

Dora Nginza hospital

Frontier hospital

Western Cape Province

Hospital Name

(b)What steps have been taken to deal with the backlogs

Alan Blyth Hospital

Beaufort West

BreedeValey

Caledon

Ceres

Citrusdarl

Clanwilliam

Eerste River

False Bay

George

Groote Schuur

Helderberg

Hermanus

Karl Bremer

Khayelitsha

Knysna

Laingsburg

Mitchells Plain

Montagu

Mossel Bay

Murraysburg

New Somerset

Otto du Plessis

Oudtshoorn

Paarl

Prince Albert

Red Croos War Memorial Children

Riversdale

Robertson

Stellenbosch

Swartland

Swellendam

Tygerburg

Victoria

Vredenburg

Vredendal

Wesfleur

Worcester

Operations increased by dedicated budget increase and efficiency gains

KZN NATAL State Province

Hospital Name

(b)What steps have been taken to deal with the backlogs

Madadeni Hospital

King Edward Hospital

RK Khan Hospital

IALCH

Ngwelezana Hospital

Port Shepstone Regional

Murchison Hospital

GJ Crookes Hospital

Grey’s Hospital

Harry Gwala Regional Hospital

Northdale Hospital

Manguzi Hospital

Mosvold Hospital

Ladysmith Regional Hospital

• Catch up has been done by increasing theatre times

• Elective slates done over the weekend to catch up. Camps have also been planned

• Increase theatre times

• Use after hours to reduce backlog

• Elective theatre slates run even after hours

• Electives commenced in 2021

• Emergencies are given priority

• Maximum utilization of theatres with added slates on weekends.

• Weekend camps are planned

The hospital is increasing theatre time. Additional days added

• Weekend cataract camps held to reduce the backlog

• Additional half day theatre planned for every Thursday

• No waiting for emergencies or malignancies as these were all done under emergency slates. No new dates given but electives are called back according to priority and bed availability.

• For GIT procedures i.e. endoscopy and colonoscopy- are limited to emergencies only, e.g. GI bleeds, malignancy and selected elective cases after discussion with a specialist.

• There is a plan to conduct a marathon (i.e. request for 2 theatres to do only elective cases)

• Theatre time increased