In March 2022, Cancer Alliance, with the approval of Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, commissioned the services of an independent consultant to locate and peruse the files of patients who needed radiation oncology services at the hospital and to prepare a waiting list of all those patients.
At the time, about 3,000 patients were awaiting radiation oncology treatment, including patients suffering from prostate, breast, cervical and colon cancer. Their findings also revealed that these patients had been waiting for their treatment for more than a year.
Some of the main causes for the delays included shortages in personnel and equipment.
“After serious consideration of each of the options presented by the cancer crisis task team, it was resolved that outsourcing radiation oncology services is the only feasible and immediate short-term solution to assist the patients on the waiting list, with procurement of equipment and resolution of staff-related problems being priorities for the medium-term,” said Section27.
“However, the Gauteng department of health indicated it did not have the finances necessary to outsource radiation oncology services. Section27 then reached out to the national and provincial Treasury to determine whether there were any funds available for the realisation of this plan.”
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
Section27 welcomes Gauteng budget allocation to cancer treatment backlog
MEC Jacob Mamabolo on Thursday allocated R784m to the Gauteng department of health to urgently address the backlog in oncology services
Image: 123RF
Public interest law centre Section27 has welcomed the special allocation of R784m to finance radiation oncology and surgery backlogs in Gauteng.
MEC of finance Jacob Mamabolo presented the 2023/24 provincial budget speech on Thursday in Johannesburg.
As a result of “tireless interventions” by civil society organisations, Cancer Alliance, Section27 and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), in partnership with the Gauteng Treasury, the province will now, among other interventions, outsource radiation oncology services for patients on the waiting list to ensure prompt access to healthcare services.
The Gauteng department of health has had a 2% decrease in budget allocation for this year. The budget decreased from R61bn in 2022 to R60bn.
In November 2021, the three organisations brought specific problems relating to radiation oncology at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital to the attention of the Gauteng department of health.
Gauteng health department gets R60bn budget, 2% lower than last year
In March 2022, Cancer Alliance, with the approval of Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, commissioned the services of an independent consultant to locate and peruse the files of patients who needed radiation oncology services at the hospital and to prepare a waiting list of all those patients.
At the time, about 3,000 patients were awaiting radiation oncology treatment, including patients suffering from prostate, breast, cervical and colon cancer. Their findings also revealed that these patients had been waiting for their treatment for more than a year.
Some of the main causes for the delays included shortages in personnel and equipment.
“After serious consideration of each of the options presented by the cancer crisis task team, it was resolved that outsourcing radiation oncology services is the only feasible and immediate short-term solution to assist the patients on the waiting list, with procurement of equipment and resolution of staff-related problems being priorities for the medium-term,” said Section27.
“However, the Gauteng department of health indicated it did not have the finances necessary to outsource radiation oncology services. Section27 then reached out to the national and provincial Treasury to determine whether there were any funds available for the realisation of this plan.”
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
MORE
Cancer surgeon resigns and volunteers withdraw from Helen Joseph Hospital
What to do about SA’s chronic surgical delays
IN PICS | Nehawu denies it's preventing medical personnel from entering Charlotte Maxeke Hospital
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Related articles
Most read
Latest Videos