Management at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital say there are no backlogs at its oncology department, adding it’s an exaggeration to say there’s a crisis.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) conducted a walkabout at the facility on Thursday after reports of understaffing and a waiting list of over 500 patients.

The CEO at the hospital, Gladys Bogoshi, says waiting periods for patients to undergo radiation varies between one week and two years, depending on the type of cancer.

She says there are processes before radiology that may warrant a patient being placed on a waiting list. However, she says it would be factually incorrect to say there is a backlog.
“There is no backlog because everybody is getting treatment of some sort. We reprioritise as and when you are ready to get that treatment.”
Bogoshi says that currently, the hospital’s oncology department has three consultants and they’re working tirelessly to fill two vacancies.

Source: EWN