State health director Dr Rusdi Abd Rahman said the number had reached thousands due to the spread of Covid-19, which caused surgeries to be put off due to risks of infection.

He said these surgeries were recorded from January 2021 till early this year.

“The heath director-general (Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah) has told all state health directors to focus on clearing as many of these outstanding cases as possible this year. Melaka has given its commitment to do so,” he said.

Rusdi said 20-25% of the cases will be handed over to private hospitals in the state, while 30-35% of the surgeries will be carried out at the Melaka Hospital.

He added that one of the main challenges faced was the eight-hour limit on the use of operating theatres, which allowed only about eight one-hour surgeries to be conducted daily.

“We have identified the facilities available; minor surgeries such as cataracts and ear surgery will be performed at Alor Gajah Hospital or Jasin Hospital.

“Every Saturday, we will perform major surgeries by bringing in specialists from other districts or states.”

Rusdi said Melaka Hospital also received specialist assistance from Tampin Hospital, Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital in Muar, Kuala Lumpur Hospital and Serdang Hospital.