So many questions on public healthcare in KwaZulu-Natal
There are no more oncologists in the public-health sector in KwaZulu-Natal because the equipment they need is broken. Chris Barron asked the head of the SA Medical Association in the region, Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa...
Is the KwaZulu-Natal department of health dysfunctional?
I would be more aggressive and say it's in crisis. People are dying from a lack of services in terms of oncology, urology and stuff like that.
If you have cancer, it progresses without being monitored.
You do not have any access to an oncologist because the oncologists have left.
Why?
Because the equipment was broken and they couldn't work. There was no medicine to treat cancer patients.This hasn't happened overnight, has it?
No it hasn't. It started deteriorating from 2014.
What did you do about it?
We tried to engage with the department of health.
When?
We've been trying to secure an appointment with the MEC, Dr [Sibongiseni] Dhlomo, since 2014. We've never met him. He was always complaining he's busy.
Did you approach the premier?
What's the point of going to the premier without having discussed it with the actual person?
So you just sat and watched the crisis happening?
We've been working with our national head office, to say we're facing a crisis in KwaZulu-Natal.
Did you approach the national minister of health?
I'm sure they approached the national director-general.
When?
In 2013 or 2014.What was the national department's response?
They've always been telling us that they're attending to the problem.
Did Sama approach the minister?
They did approach the minister.
So the minister has been aware of the situation?
Yes, for sure.
The MEC says your members left to get more money in the private sector.
That is very wrong.
Our members left because the machines were not working and there were no medicines.
He says there are budget problems.
Why do we have the Cuban programme if we do not have money? In that programme we are paying at least R200,000 per student per year.
That programme is collapsing the system. That, and the wasteful expenditure as well.
So you can't say we don't have money. We are being mismanaged...
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