The Gauteng Department of Health has introduced a strategy to tackle a backlog of over 30,600 patients, mostly long-standing “legacy” cases. – The Citizen (14 April 2026)
Officials attribute delays to sustained pressure rather than sudden system failure, citing high referral volumes to constrained tertiary hospitals, staff shortages, equipment issues and disruptions like water outages that caused surgical cancellations.
To address the problem the Treatment Time Guarantees (TTG) dashboard was established to enable real-time tracking and better coordination of waiting lists. Hospitals are extending operating hours and running surgical marathons, supported by targeted recruitment and improved equipment maintenance