Surgery backlog | The agony of waiting for surgery

JOHANNESBURG - Over 32,000 patients are waiting for critical surgery in Gauteng hospitals.

The provincial health department blames the effects of Covid-19 while doctors and stakeholders in the sector say the department is in crisis.

WATCH: COVID-19 | Massive surgery backlogs in Western Cape

Thousands of patients who are on waiting lists have become prisoners in their own homes.

From cataract surgery to knee replacements and hernia operations, thousands of patients have been on waiting lists for months. Others have been waiting for years. 

* eNCA's Silindelo Masikane reports.