Health Minister Joe Phaahla said contracts for major medical equipment at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital have not been finalized.
Phaahla was responding to a parliamentary question from the Democratic Alliance (DA).
In a written reply to the DA last month, Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi revealed that the hospital’s surgery waiting list had increased by thousands of patients.
Some of the patients on the waiting list were told that they’ll be operated on in December 2026.
Minister Phaahla has attributed historic underfunding at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital for the hospital’s ailing infrastructure.
Last month, Gauteng Health MEC Mokgethi revealed in her written reply to the DA in the provincial legislature that the hospital’s waiting list had 11,194 patients – an increase from last year’s 7,288.
More than 3,390 cataract patients will have to wait for a year to undergo surgery to regain their eyesight.
Over 1,770 hip and knee replacement patients are on a four-and-a-half-year waiting list, and more than 1,300 children will wait six months for surgery, while 243 patients with prostate cancer will wait 24-36 months.
Phaahla said that the academic hospital’s patients who required radiation therapy were referred to the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital for treatment.
The minister said that limited funding for staff salaries had also affected healthcare services.
Phaahla said there are also vacant posts that had not been filled because of the hospital’s limited budget.
He said the hospital’s management has annually presented budget requirements to the provincial budget bilateral committee but no additional funding was allocated.
-EWN
In other news – No baby number 2 for Faith Nketsi any time soon
South African reality TV star Faith Nketsi has opened up about her birthing experience and the trauma it left her with.
The reality star recently took to Twitter to share her experience with fans, saying she was in labour for 26 hours before she held her baby in her arms which made her think twice about baby number two. “26 hours in labour is enough to make me never ever want to go through that again. Maybe I’ll change my mind one day, who knows. Learn More
