North West Women Face Year-Long Wait for Fibroid Treatment

25-year old Tiisetso Lekgetho experiences painful periods with heavy bleeding that keeps her home two or three days a month, unable to look for work or go about her normal life. Lekgetho, from Tsetse village outside Mahikeng in the North West, has multiple uterine fibroids. She has been waiting for surgery at Bophelong Provincial Hospital since last year. "The hardest part was waiting this long, it is affecting me every day" Lekgetho says. Her operation is now scheduled for 11 November. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines "Some days the bleeding is so heavy I can't leave the house. I can't look for work properly because I never know when I'll be down for days. It's draining me physically and mentally." Lekgetho's experience highlights the impact of painful and heavy periods on some women's everyday lives when treatment is delayed. Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the uterus. They can cause heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic or abdominal pain and bladder problems. Recent research from southern Africa shows the impact can extend far beyond the physical symptoms. A 2024 study of 60 women diagnosed with uterine fibroids in Eswatini found that participants experienced physical, psychological, emotional and social challenges. Women reported abnormal bleeding and abdominal pain, while some missed work and other activities because of their symptoms. Participants also raised concerns about delayed diagnosis and surgery. Months waiting for surgery Lekgetho says since 2024 she had been experiencing severe lower abdominal pain, painful periods, frequent urination and fatigue for almost a year. She says she went to her local clinic in October last year. "I first started experiencing pains on my lower abdomen, my periods would be painful. I then went to the clinic to ask for a referral letter," she says. She was referred to Bophelong Provincial Hospital on 23 October 2025 and diagnosed with fibroids on 19 November. "At Bophelong Provincial Hospital, they did a CT scan then found I have fibroids," she says. Lekgetho was placed on a waiting list for a myomectomy , an operation to remove fibroids while leaving the uterus in place. She says she returned to the hospital in February this year. She was told she would have to wait another three months. Her surgery was expected to take place in May. "I was told the hospital staff will phone me to confirm my operation for May 26th 2026 and I didn't get any call," she says. When Lekgetho returned after 26 May, she says she was told the theatre had been booked for emergencies. Lekgetho says hospital staff also told her that other patients ahead of her on the waiting list were also still waiting for their operations. This is not the first time patients at Bophelong Provincial Hospital have faced lengthy waits for surgery. In June 2025, Health-e News reported that operations at the hospital had repeatedly been postponed because of staff shortages. The North West Department of Health confirmed at the time that an average of 45 scheduled operations were cancelled during April and May 2025. Department spokesperson Tshegofatso Mothibedi said at the time that the hospital was experiencing a shortage of theatre nurses following retirements, resignations and sick leave. The department said it planned to recruit more nurses and increase theatre times to address the backlog. More than a year later, Lekgetho says she is also waiting for surgery at the hospital. Her operation is now scheduled for 11 November. "Having fibroids has been a painful experience because even your body changes," she says. The North West Department of Health did not respond to questions from Health-e News about the reason for Lekgetho's postponements, the current surgical waiting list at Bophelong Provincial Hospital or whether the earlier theatre staffing problems have been resolved. Turning to traditional remedies Lekgetho is unemployed and receives a R370 Social Relief of Distress grant. Sh