Over 34,000 Patients Still Awaiting Surgery in Gauteng: Health MEC

• Gauteng's MEC for Health, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, revealed that more than 30,000 patients in the province are waiting for operations
• She revealed the staggering figure in a response by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature
• She said most of the people in line are waiting for cataract surgeries, and the DA's Jack Bloom, slammed the department

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests, and immigration in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG — The MEC of Health in Gauteng, Nobantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, revealed that over 34,000 patients in the province are in the waiting line for surgeries, and most of them are waiting for cataract surgeries.

Over 30,000 outstanding surgeries in Gauteng

According to Eyewitness News, Nkomo-Ralehoko responded to a question Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng's Health spokesperson, Jack Bloom, asked in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. Nkomo-Ralehoko said most of the patients in line for surgeries are waiting for a cataract procedure.

She said more than 9,000 patients are waiting for the procedure, which is performed to improve vision by replacing a cloudy lens in the eye with a clearer artificial lens. The department also revealed that the average waiting time for a cataract surgery is between one and two months.

Jack Bloom slams the department

Bloom criticised the health department and said there was no progress that it had made. He remarked that the situation is exacerbating and is caused by staff shortages, poor budgetary spending, and equipment breakdowns.

However, Nkomo-Ralehoko said that waiting times have dropped drastically. The department added that the provincial department's initiatives, like increasing staff capacity and conducting surgery blitzes, are reducing the list.

What you need to know about the Gauteng health department

• The Special Investigating Unit was praised for investigating a R113 million personal protective equipment tender that the department unlawfully awarded during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Nkomo-Ralehoko revealed in September 2024 that the department is spending over R13 million on paying suspended staff members' salaries
• In the same month, the Department received a clean audit, and was one of seven departments in the province to receive a clean audit
• The department also revealed in October that 7,117 people were injured in unintended events in the previous financial year due to population growth
• Sifiso Maseko, the Department's former Head of Infrastructure Development and a senior MK Party member, was fired in February 2025 for his involvement in a refurbishment saga that cost the department ten times more than what it budgeted

South Africans weigh in

Netizens commenting on Eyewitness News' Facebook post shared their views. Some suspected that the list contained undocumented foreign nationals.

Motlanthe MaBeu asked:

"How many are South African?"

Zandile Tshabalala said:

"Put South Africans first on that list and foreigners last."

Natalia Scheepers Hendricks said:

"Let ministers use public facilities. Things will change."

Veronica Teixeria Borrageiro said:

"Not enough doctors and nurses to cope with the volumes of patients."

Mulambiwa Avhafarei said:

"And the Gauteng government is returning over R1 billion to Treasury."

STIs on the rise in Gauteng

In a related article, Briefly News reported that sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) were on the rise in the province in 2024. The department noted that 67,000 men were treated for STIs between April and December 2023.

The department said the men were treated for urethritis syndrome, and 1,255 women were treated for syphilis. This meant that 40% of the men who visited health facilities in that period were treated for STIs.

Source: Briefly News