Following the pandemic, the department has allocated an additional R20-million from the internal prioritisation of funds to address general surgical backlogs.
“In South Africa, and in many countries, the private sector is a very lucrative destination for specialists. And so it draws a lot of ophthalmologists, as they graduate and set up practices.”that for those interested in joining the public sector, there is often a shortage of posts available for ophthalmologists.
An analysis of the addresses provided for ophthalmologists in the HPCSA database suggests that the provinces with the greatest number of ophthalmologists are Gauteng with 42.3%, Western Cape with 23.8%, and KwaZulu-Natal with 13.2%, according to McGee. “Traditionally, ‘private’ practitioners may also help out in the public sector through organised programmes like Ossa’s Right to Sight initiative, which provides cataract surgeries to indigent patients at private facilities, or through other arrangements made with local and provincial authorities.”While cataracts may not be fatal, they can significantly reduce a person’s ability to function .
1200 - 1500 on a waiting list? How many are South Africans?