The DA is concerned there is no imminent relief for cancer patients who need urgent radiation treatment despite Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s announcement last week of an outsourcing deal with private hospitals.
In Lesufi’s statement reflecting on 100 days of his provincial government, he says the outsourcing of radiotherapy services to private healthcare providers has been completed, and they are “finalising the Service Level Agreement (SLA) and expect treatments to commence soon”.
But this is very poor progress in spending R511m budgeted since March last year to cut the radiation treatment backlog of cancer patients.
Also concerning is there has been no consultation with the Cancer Alliance, Section27 and Treatment Action group despite Lesufi’s promise in his SOPA address in August this year that he would “promptly designate an impartial group headed by cancer specialists to serve as a mediator between the department of health and interest groups”.
This is yet another failed Lesufi promise as the cancer interest groups are still battling in the courts to ensure the cancer budget is spent effectively. The next court hearing on this is on November 21.
The urgency is that more than 2,000 patients are waiting for radiation treatment, which should be done within 60 days of surgery or chemotherapy, and no later than 90 days, to destroy remaining cancer cells.
I estimate that hundreds of cancer patients have needlessly suffered and died because of the outrageous delay in spending the available budget. This is as big a scandal as the Life Esidimeni disaster in which 144 mental patients died after they were sent to unsuitable NGOs.
The DA proposes that lessons be learned in efficient cancer treatment from the DA-run Western Cape health department, supplemented by a private/public partnership to cut the treatment backlog of public patients.
Jack Bloom, MPL
DA Gauteng shadow Health MEC
READER LETTER
www.sowetanlive.co.za
