Hope you do not need an operation at Soweto's Bara hospital

Machinery breakdowns and staff shortages are cited as reasons for a dramatic increase in the backlog for patients requiring surgery at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital‚ which is up to five years for a hip op.

Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa has disclosed that 11‚736 patients are waiting for operations at the top state hospital.

This information was disclosed in an oral reply to questions by the Democratic Alliance's Jack Bloom at a sitting of the Gauteng Legislature‚ he said in a statement on Wednesday.

She also said that 1‚824 operations had been cancelled for various reasons at the hospital last year.

Bloom said: "The number has increased dramatically in the last two years as 4‚846 patients were waiting for surgery at the hospital in 2015‚ according to a previous reply to my questions in the Legislature."

"Part of the problem is the high number of cancelled operations due to machinery breakdowns and staff shortages.

"The surgery backlog should never have been allowed to grow so high at this hospital. Patients suffer when they have to wait so long for surgery. It is inhuman to ask people to wait five years for a hip operation."

Bloom called for special measures to be introduced to cut the surgery waiting lists‚ including extended operating hours and a partnership with the private health sector.