However, the acting CEO of the hospital, Dr Mathabo Mathebula, denied reports that oncology services were collapsing and oncology machines had broken down.
“Last year in February, the air cooling system was not functioning properly and we were warned by the manufacturer that if the machine broke down through overheating we would break their service agreement and they would not repair the machines so we had to stop using them,” Mathebula said.
Head of the oncology unit, Prof Roy Lakier, admitted there were challenges, saying: “Collapse is a harsh word, we need more resources but we are doing our best with what we’ve got.”
Prevania Pillay, assistant director of the radiation oncology unit, said the hospital was battling an increasing patient load as a result of an influx from other provinces and even foreign nationals. Pillay said they needed about 30 radiographers. Recently 25 posts were advertised but only 22 were filled. “We used to have a six-month waiting list for patients, we are now down to three-and-a-half months so we are getting there. There is only so much we can do with the resources we have,” Pillay said.
One patient told Afro Voice: “The doctors treat us well but there are too many of us, some come from Mpumalanga and other provinces. We want hospitals closer to where the people are.” The SAHRC said that while it was satisfied with what was observed yesterday, there were some concerns.
“We noted some of the commendable actions that have been taken by the leadership at this hospital to ensure that healthcare provision, particularly to cancer patients, is satisfactory but there are a number of factors that we still have to examine. For example, the state of human resources and the fact that the recruitment processes are centralised are concerns for the commission,” SAHRC commissioner Buang Jones said.
The commission hopes to finalise a report into its investigation within 180 days and make public the findings and recommendations.
“We are concerned with the lengthy waiting periods that patients have to endure but we are going to provide the hospital with the opportunity to provide us with the records of waiting periods for patients. We will also request the hospital to furnish us with its maintenance reports,” the commission said. Prof Michael Herbst of the Cancer Association of South Africa said delays in treatment can have an impact on the health of a cancer patient.
“If it has been a new patient that has been referred for the first time by his/ her doctor who suspects that the patient may have one or another cancer, if they cannot then get access to the radiography department to have their X-ray done, it’s problematic. If there is a delay of six months, for example, it may be that a stage 1 cancer could by then have changed to stage 2 or stage 2 progressed to stage 3.
“The delay can affect the specific treatment that the patient needs,” Herbst said. Meanwhile, in KwaZuluNatal, health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said in a report back to the SAHRC on the oncology crisis in the province that one of the machines at Addington Hospital had been repaired, with its software upgraded.

Source: Afro View