Question NW2608 to the Minister of Health

Reply:

(a) (i) and (ii) The following table reflects the details in this regard

a) What is the current waiting list of
Hospital	(i) Surgeries	(ii) backlog in the hospitals in Mpumalanga
	General Surgery	Gynae	Cataract	Paediatric	Orthopaedic
Rob Ferreira	170	0	1900	110	0	2180
Witbank	204	0	1710	0	54	1968
Mapulaneng	70	0	63	0	13	146
Themba	180	32	225	0	12	449
Ermelo	50	0	410	0	72	532
Total	674	32	4308	110	151	5275

(b) The department is running a Registrar Training Programme, which is a programme that offers bursaries to Mpumalanga Medical Officers to train as specialists in the different disciplines. The Medical Officers sign a contract with a work-back obligation to ensure they serve the province after completion of training. The period of the work-back obligation is equivalent to the time the registrar spent in training. The department continues to headhunt surgeons and other specialists to increase the pool.

The department is running synchronised marathons in the regional- and tertiary hospitals (namely Rob Ferreira and Witbank Provincial Tertiary hospitals and Mapulaneng, Temba and Ermelo regional hospitals) to reduce the backlogs of patients waiting for operations and this is beginning to bear fruits. The following can be reported:

• Orthopaedic marathon was conducted from the 8-31 May 2023. A total of 427 patients were operated in the two tertiary and three regional hospitals. Some of the operations conducted include Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), Femur nailing, K-Wire removals, debridements, tendon repairs etc.
• For General Surgery, 19 patients were operated in July 2023 at Ermelo regional hospital in one day to reduce backlog because Ermelo hospital does not have surgeons. The team that worked there included three surgeons, two anaesthetists from tertiary and other regional hospitals, as well as Ermelo hospital medical officers. The operations conducted included Myomectomies, Skin graft, Inguinal hernia repair, Laparotomy (complex), Mastectomy (complex). The plan is to provide outreach to Ermelo until they have at least one surgeon. This approach is meant to support any hospital that doesn’t not have a specific specialty.
• Women’s Health Gynae Operations were done throughout the month of August 2023 from 3rd to the 31st in all the two tertiary and three regional hospitals. A total of 259 women were operated. Operations conducted include total abdominal hysterectomies, vaginal Hysterectomies, Myomectomies, Bilateral Tubal Ligations, Rectovaginal Fistula Repairs and Laparoscopy.

The department continues to work on interventions to manage the waiting list of patients waiting for surgeries. The department also works with Tshemba Foundation NPO for cataract surgeries

It is worth noting that the recruitment of specialists in rural provinces remains a major problem and the affected provinces continue to look for innovative ways to recruit and retain specialists.

END.