Motsoaledi was addressing the media at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Cenral Hospital in Durban.

His visit follows a report compiled by the South African Human Rights that revealed that cancer radiotherapy machines are not functional and that patients admitted to hospitals in the province would have to wait eight months to be treated.

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has been lurching from one crisis to another according to the report compiled by the South African Human Rights Commission.

According to the report, problems facing the department include the backlog of treating cancer patients due to the unavailability of cancer machines.

The SAHRC revealed that cancer patients might have lost their lives as they wait for treatment for more than eight months to see an oncologist.

Aaron Motsoaledi says, "The biggest problems here are two; the issues of human resources; the planning of human resources. The development and management of human resource has not been going well and is the root cause of this crisis that is causing specialists to leave; not only oncologists, but across the board."

Motsoaledi says the National Health Department will take over the functioning of the procurement and human resource in the provincial Health Department.

"So, what are our solutions we have agreed with the premier - two MEC's and the University of KwaZulu-Natal that the team that you see going out are going to sit down and put up a package of human resources needs for the department of health in KwaZulu-Natal."

    "At times, it's very easy for everybody to say because there is mess in government, premier must be fired"

The SAHRC has also recommended that an investigation be conducted by the Health Ombudsman and that KwaZulu-Natal Premier Willies Mchunu determine whether MEC Dhlomo, as the accountable authority, has responded adequately in the provision of interim, short-term and long-term measures in the performance of all functions of the executive that the constitution and legal frameworks assigned to him.

However, Mchunu believes firing the MEC is not the solution.

"At times, it's very easy for everybody to say because there is mess in government, premier must be fired. As soon as something goes wrong, the minister or MEC must be fired."

According to the report, close to 3 000 patients that are receiving cancer treatment in the province and the international guidelines recommend that patients receive treatment within 28 days.

However, KwaZulu-Natal patients, according to the provincial Health Department's own submission to the SAHRC, would wait for more than a year.

Source: SABC