Question NW461 to the Minister of Health

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.