Oncology crisis not worsening says Health Department
Department of Health is working on a human resources skills base which will begin to address the demand for oncology services in KZN
THE Department of Health is working on a human resources skills base which will begin to address the demand for oncology services in KZN.
This is among a number of interventions the department says are in the pipeline to help improve the crisis in the province.
Rejecting a statement that oncology services continue to deteriorate, they said a tender has been awarded to an oncology consortium that will service patients at Inkosi Albert Luthuli and Addington hospitals.
The successful tenderer is expected to start next month.
‘This is in addition to the oncology services already offered at Greys Hospital and a new site catering for Lower Umfolozi and Ngwelezana hospitals in collaboration with the JMH group in Richards Bay.’
Last week DA KZN health spokesperson, Dr Imran Keeka, said the party held a meeting with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to discuss and seek intervention on the ‘worsening crisis’.
‘In June last year, the Commission found KZN Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo guilty of having violated the rights of cancer patients to adequate treatment.
‘Despite this damning finding and the numerous recommendations by the SAHRC seven months ago, matters are even worse today,’ Dr Keeka said.
The DA said it was concerned that:
• No new appointments are made for extremely ill cancer patients;
• Patients are waiting for up to nine months to receive proper treatment. In some cases they are dying before they are seen by an oncologist;
• Volunteer oncologists are now only available once a week to assist patients. This was always meant to be an interim measure and the DoH has failed in this regard;
• There is no indication of the recruitment of new oncologists by the department. Meanwhile, the two qualifying registrars who would have joined the department in August last year, could not qualify after the DoH was not accredited to provide their training; and
• There is still no news on the repair of or purchase of new oncology machines in the province.
However, the department said there are three functional machines in the province and a new machine will be commissioned at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital this week.
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