The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has strongly refuted claims by the DA that it is refusing to work with interest groups led by Section27 and including the Cancer Alliance and Treatment Action Campaign.
This comes as the parties are embroiled in a court case at the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, where the department is also accused of failing to spend millions meant to benefit cancer patients, amid treatment backlogs.
Speaking to The Star on Wednesday, spokesperson for the department, Motalatale Modiba, said the allegations by the DA were untrue, adding that the department has made its stance clear on the issue.
“The department has never refused to work with cancer interest groups and in fact continues to work with many interest groups who have varying interests.
“What the department has always been consistent on is the principle of separation of powers; that while various interest groups have a right to make inputs into the work of government, the GDoH must always be guided by applicable policies in discharging its mandate,” said Modiba.
However, the DA said it has submitted a motion to the Gauteng Legislature to censure Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko for what it calls her failure to work with cancer interest groups to ensure speedy treatment to save the lives of cancer patients.
Following the court action launched by the interests groups, last month, the GDoH came out strongly against the Cancer Alliance’s court application to hold it accountable for its failure to spend millions allocated to fight cancer in the province.
Yesterday, DA Gauteng MEC and spokesperson for health Jack Bloom said the failure by the department has necessitated a court action by Section 27, Cancer Alliance and Treatment Action Campaign over the unspent millions, which should be used to reverse the cancer treatment backlog at Gauteng hospitals.
“This is why there is a court case by Section27, Cancer Alliance and the Treatment Action Campaign, to force the department to effectively spend the R784 million budget to cut the cancer treatment backlog.
“The MEC’s arrogance and negligence in this matter pushed Premier Panyaza Lesufi to announce last week he would promptly designate an impartial group, headed by cancer specialists, to serve as a mediator between the department of health and interest groups,” said Bloom in a statement.
Bloom said failure to effectively spend the budget has resulted in thousands of cancer patients suffering through their pain due to unending delays across hospitals in the province.
“My motion notes the suffering of cancer patients on the long waiting list for radiation treatment, which should be done within 60 days of surgery or chemotherapy, and no later than 90 days, to destroy remaining malignant cancer cells. Hundreds of cancer patients are suffering because of the delays, and many will die early because radiation treatment was not done in time,” Bloom added.
According to the DA, the department has further failed to effectively spend the R250 million budgeted to cut the cancer treatment backlog last year.
“Honest and direct communication is needed between the Gauteng Health Department and interest groups rather than mediation that will lead to further delays. It is significant that this is the first motion of censure in the Gauteng Legislature since its inception in 1994.
“There is a real prospect that opposition votes in the Legislature will censure Nkomo-Ralehoko for the terrible suffering of cancer patients, with avoidable deaths likely more than those who died in the Life Esidimeni tragedy,“ Bloom said.
The Star