GAUTENG. – 2 637 – dit is die getal pasiënte wat op kankerbehandeling by Steve Biko- akademiese hospitaal in Pretoria en Charlotte Maxeke-hospitaal in Johannesburg vir behandeling wag.
Die getalle is tydens ‘n vergadering van die gesondheidskomitee van die Gautengse wetgewer bekendgemaak. Van die 2 637 pasiënte is 1 440 met prostaatkanker en 848 vir ander kanker by Charlotte Maxeke-hospitaal gediagnoseer en 349 by Steve Biko-hospitaal.
Jack Bloom, die DA in Gauteng se skadu-LUR vir gesondheid, vra Aaron Motsoaledi, die nasionale gesondheidsminister, om weens nalatigheid van die Gautengse gesondheidsdepartement in te gryp om die pasiënte ‘n kans op oorlewing te bied.
Bloom sê in ‘n verklaring daar is ook ‘n waglys vir pasiënte om gediagnoseer te word en op ‘n behandelingslys geplaas te word.
“Baie pasiënte word van die lys afgehaal omdat die vertraging beteken dat bestralingsterapie nie meer ‘n opsie is nie, wat hul oorlewingskanse drasties verminder.”
Nuusflits-lesers het gemengde reaksies oor die situasie. Sommige beskryf die onkologie-afdelings en personeel as baie goed. Tydsverloop na diagnose voor met behandeling begin word, is ‘n probleem. Een leser het selfs te kenne gegee sy is betrokke by ‘n hofsaak teen die departement van gesondheid.
Nuusflits het kommentaar van Aaron Motsoaledi, die nasionale gesondheidsminister, gevra.
Lees die volledige verklaring hier onder:
National Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi should intervene to save hundreds of cancer patients whose chances of survival are worsening due to the Gauteng Health Department’s negligence.
According to figures given last week at a meeting of the Gauteng Legislature’s Health Committee, there are 2637 cancer patients waiting for treatment – 1440 prostate cancer patients and 848 for other cancers at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital, and 349 patients at the Steve Biko Hospital.
This underestimates the need as there is also a waiting time to be diagnosed before they can be placed on the treatment list.
Many patients are taken off the list because the delay means radiation therapy is no longer an option, which drastically cuts their survival chances.
It reminds me of the Life Esidimeni tragedy as the Gauteng Health Department opposes the court action of Section27, the Cancer Alliance and the Treatment Action Campaign. They are trying to get the department to effectively spend the R784 million that Treasury allocated over three years to cut the cancer backlog.
It is scandalous that not a single cancer patient was treated last year using the R250 million that was budgeted. This money should be rolled over into this financial year and used with the R261 million in this year’s budget to arrange speedy radiation treatment at private hospitals.
Aaron Motsoaledi was National Health Minister when the Esidimeni deaths were revealed, and he instituted the inquiry by the Health Ombudsman and rescued patients from NGOs.
The Democratic Alliance calls on Minister Motsoaledi to intervene decisively in this cancer crisis to save the lives of patients, as he did before with Esidimeni.
