The Democratic Alliance (DA) made the report public today.  The 68-page report cites a lack of functional health technology machines for screening, and treating cancer patients.

The commission says the matter raises issues relating to the constitutional rights of citizens to have access to health care services.

The report raises concerns about the high number of senior and highly-skilled specialists who have resigned due to their frustrations with the operations.

The commission has now given the health department an ultimatum it wants them to repair and monitor all health technology machines with immediate effect.

DA Member of Parliament Dr Imran Keeka said they welcomed the South African human rights commission report. “We had raised the issues of the violation of right of patients with the commission in February last year our complaint to the human rights commission came after an extensive period of engagements with the department and MEC that we believed it fall on deaf ears,” says Keeka.

The commission also wants the department to adopt an interim referral management plan for cancer patients to private service providers.

Health authorities must also deal with the backlog immediately.

The DA is now considering taking legal action against the MEC and officials of the department implicated in the report.  The MEC and officials in the health department weren't available for comment as they were locked in a meeting.

Source: SABC