Almost 100 000 patients are awaiting surgery in the Western Cape – more than 5 000 at Groote Schuur Hospital alone – thanks to the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the daily pressures of high trauma intake in the region, reports Cape Argus.
The family of one affected patient, Elizabeth Williams (77), has been pleading with Groote Schuur management for seven months for their mother, who has Vocal Cord Palsy, to be allowed elective surgery.
She suffers regularly with vomiting and choking with her tracheostomy, which now has a foul smell, and shows signs of pus and blood, and they fear a worsening infection or condition.
They have begged for immediate medical attention, which they say is vital to prevent serious complications like aspiration or pneumonia.
“Despite having Vocal Cord Palsy and being repeatedly turned away from scheduled surgery, Groote Schuur has failed to provide adequate care or follow-up,” said Williams’ daughter, Glenda Williams.
“In May this year, after contacting the hospital, I was promised an investigation and resolution. But seven months later, I have received no substantive response or action, despite multiple follow-up emails.”
She said the medical manager and a professor also promised a follow-up after a 30 May meeting, which never occurred.
“The medical manager only contacted me on 5 December to request an assessment after learning I had involved the media.” Williams had turned to the media because her mother’s health is deteriorating.
She said the lack of proper care after seven months of urgent appeals is “deeply unfair and may constitute a violation of her basic human rights, neglect, or elder abuse, in conflict with Groote Schuur’s constitutional and ethical obligations”.
Her mother’s case was not isolated, she added, and raised concerns about patient safety and the consequences of delayed care for vulnerable individuals.
During a parliamentary question in June, Mireille Wenger, provincial MEC for Health & Wellness, was asked the latest figures for surgery backlog in the province, detailing those waiting for more than 12 months and between 36 and 60 months, and the reasons for the delays.
Wenger said the impact of the pandemic continues to leave its mark with a backlog of close to 100 000 surgeries.
“The total …currently stands at 99 979 patients. Of these, 87 975 patients have been waiting for more than 12 months. And 20 027 have been on the waiting list for more than 60 months.”
The waiting lists include elective surgeries that range from routine day-case procedures to more complex operations requiring specialised surgical teams and facilities.
She added that the main reason for the backlog was the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly between 2020 and early 2022, but by 2023, the number of operations had returned to pre-Covid levels, and progress was being made in surgery catch-ups.
However, this momentum was disrupted in 2024 due to budgetary constraints and national austerity measures.
Esethu Madlwabinga, Communication: Department of Health & Wellness, said that as of May this year, 5 077 patients are awaiting elective surgery at Groote Schuur, including 394 requiring cancer-related procedures.
“While progress has been made, demand for elective surgery continues to exceed available resources.
“High trauma volumes and ongoing national budget pressures affect the pace at which waiting lists can be reduced,” she added.
Madlwabinga said – referring to the Williams case – that they “recognise the very real distress experienced by patients and families ….and we acknowledge the frustration and anxiety long waiting times can cause”.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Groote Schuur donors beef up resources to tackle surgery backlog
Donations plea to fund Groote Schuur’s 6,000 surgery patients’ backlog
How Groote Schuur Hospital’s ICU adapted to the pandemic
Robotic surgery reduces Cape backlog by 70%
Backlog of nearly 200 000 elective surgeries at public hospitals