Section27 highlights urgency of case against Gauteng Health Dept related to cancer patients
The department failed to use R784 million meant to clear the thousands-strong backlog of cancer patients waiting for life-saving radiation and oncology services.
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JOHANNESBURG - Section27 has highlighted the urgency of a case it’s brought against the Gauteng Health Department over its failure to use money allocated for cancer patients.
The department failed to use R784 million meant to clear the thousands-strong backlog of cancer patients waiting for life-saving radiation and oncology services.
Section27 is acting on behalf of the Cancer Alliance in the matter.
The organisation’s Pearl Nicodemus said that despite the allocation, no meaningful progress had been made since it was announced.
"Given the department’s failure to provide urgent radiation oncology services to the patients on the backlog list, Cancer Alliance has been forced to bring an application before the court to ensure cancer patients on this list urgently receive the radiation and oncology services that are constitutionally entitled to them."
Nicodemus said these services were "a critical component in the treatment of cancer" and that the case "could not be more urgent".
"The longer integrated radiation oncology treatment is delayed, the more lives are tragically lost among cancer patients. Section27, Cancer Alliance and the Treatment Action Campaign call upon the Gauteng Department of Health to fulfil its constitutional obligation to provide these patients with access to cancer treatment."
The case is set down for hearing next week Tuesday.