Question NW461 to the Minister of Health
17 March 2022 - NW461
Ismail, Ms H to ask the Minister of Health
What (a) is the current national backlog of postponed (i) non-essential surgeries and (ii) cancer treatment, (b) is the backlog in each province in each specified case, (c) what (i) number and (ii) types of each surgery have been delayed and (d) is the waiting time for each of the non-essential surgeries, for example, the period a patient has to wait for the procedure to remove a cataract?
Reply:
a) Surgeries are conducted at facility level and the information is also collected here. The current national backlog information can therefore not be provided as there is still outstanding information.
Table below provides information by province who have reported for (b)(i)(ii).
Province |
b(i) non-essential surgeries |
b(ii) cancer treatment, |
Free State |
3076 |
Not specified |
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
16295 |
311 |
Limpopo |
5398 |
120 |
Mpumalanga |
2687 |
No backlog for cancer treatment |
Northern Cape |
2542 |
Not specified |
Western Cape |
Western Cape Department of Health use operations > 30 mins as a proxy marker for this: 2019 the Department performed 105 882 operations > 30 mins This dropped by 19 % during 2020 Dropped even further to 22 % by 2021 |
The services have begun re-escalating cervical cancer screening activities again. |
Province |
c(i)Number of delayed surgeries |
c)(ii)Type of surgery |
Free State |
411 |
Orthopaedics |
|
59 |
Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
350 |
General Surgery |
|
722 |
Ophthalmology |
|
88 |
Urology |
|
98 |
Maxillo- Facial |
(d) (i) The waiting time in Free State facilities for non-essential surgery is as follows:
- Orthopaedics surgery ranges between four (4) weeks for femur fracture to five (5 years) for arthroplasty.
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology between from two (2) weeks to two (2) years.
- General Surgery ranges between two (2) weeks to two (2) years.
- Urology ranges between one (1) month to one (1) year.
- Ophthalmology there is none for Retina surgery from one hospital.
(ii) However for cataract surgery it ranges from one (1) year to three (3) years.
Province |
c(i)Number of delayed surgeries |
c)(ii)Type of surgery |
Kwa- Zulu Natal |
2147 |
Orthopaedics |
721 |
Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
|
|
1653 |
General Surgery |
6857 |
Ophthalmology |
|
2287 |
Urology |
|
740 |
Maxillo- Facial |
|
650 |
ENT |
|
246 |
Plastic Surgery |
|
107 |
Neurosurgery |
|
887 |
Paediatric Surgery |
(i) The waiting time in Kwa Zulu-Natal facilities for non-essential surgery is as follows:
- Orthopaedics surgery ranges between six (6) months to two (2) years.
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology ranges between three (3) months six (6) months.
- General Surgery ranges between six (6) months to one (1) year.
- Urology ranges between twelve (12) months to three (3) years.
- ENT ranges between six (6) months to one (1) year.
- Plastic Surgery not provided
- Neurosurgery not provided
- Paediatric Surgery not provided
(ii) Ophthalmology which includes cataract surgery ranges between six (6) months to one (1) year.
Province |
c(i)Number of delayed surgeries |
c)(ii)Type of surgery |
Limpopo |
141 |
Orthopaedics |
74 |
Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
|
5000 |
Ophthalmology |
|
97 |
Urology |
(i) The waiting time in Limpopo facilities for non-essential surgery is as follows:
- Orthopaedics surgery ranges between six (6) months to two (2) years.
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology ranges between six (6) months to one (1) year.
- Urology ranges between six (6) months to one (1) year.
(ii) Ophthalmology which includes cataract surgery ranges between one (1) year to four(years)
Province |
c(i)Number of delayed surgeries |
c)(ii)Type of surgery |
Mpumalanga |
325 |
Orthopaedics |
369 |
Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
|
80 |
General Surgery |
|
1913 |
Ophthalmology |
(i) The waiting time in Mpumalanga facilities for non-essential surgery is as follows:
- Orthopaedics surgery ranges between seven (7) days to one (1) year.
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology ranges between four (4) weeks to six (6) months.
- General Surgery is one (1) year.
- Urology ranges between six (6) months to one (1) year.
(ii) Ophthalmology which includes cataract surgery ranges between four (4) weeks to one (1) year.
Province |
c(i)Number of delayed surgeries |
c)(ii)Type of surgery |
Northern Cape |
425 |
Orthopaedics |
190 |
Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
|
492 |
General Surgery |
|
1440 |
Ophthalmology |
|
471 |
Urology |
|
750 |
ENT |
|
100 |
Plastic Surgery |
|
62 |
Maxillo Facial |
(i) The waiting time in Northern Cape facilities for non-essential surgery is as follows:
- Orthopaedics surgery ranges between two (2) days to three (3) months
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology not specified.
- General Surgery not specified
- Urology ranges one (1) year eight (8) months
- ENT not specified
- Plastic Surgery not specified
(ii) Ophthalmology which includes cataract surgery ranges between two (2) to three (3) years.
We still await information from the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Northwest, and Western Cape Provinces. This will be furnished to Parliament as soon as it is received.