The Gauteng Department of Health says it is refuting claims made by the Democratic Alliance (DA) about delays in non-elective surgeries at Tambo Memorial Hospital. The DA raised concerns about alleged neglect and delays affecting patient welfare, prompting scrutiny of the hospital’s surgical scheduling and capacity to treat urgent cases.
The Department of Health responds that its position differs from the DA’s allegations, arguing that the reported concerns do not reflect how non-elective surgical services are managed. While the DA frames the matter as an operational failure at the hospital, the Department maintains that the situation requires a more accurate understanding of the processes involved in prioritising and carrying out urgent procedures.
Across the coverage, the dispute centres on whether non-elective surgeries are being delayed and, if so, what causes those delays. The Department’s rebuttal does not concede wrongdoing, and the controversy continues to hinge on competing characterisations of patient access to urgent surgical care at the facility.
