South Africa has 170,000 to 180,000 backlogs in surgeries mainly due to COVID-19 and load shedding, some patients have to wait up to seven years for orthopaedic surgery, said the Minister of Health Joe Phaahla today.

Phaahla made the remarks while briefing the media on the impact of load shedding on the health sector.

‘We do not know how many of these surgeries could be attributed to load shedding,’ said Phaahla. COVID-19 forced the country to suspend some medical surgeries.

On Thursday, Phaahla briefed the parliamentary portfolio committee on health about the delayed surgeries, COVID-19, vaccines and updates on the health regulations and monkeypox.

The parliamentary portfolio committee on health Kenneth Jacobs urged the department of health to urgently devise strategies to address the surgery backlogs.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency