#KZNOncologyCrisis: Yet another deadline for KZN Health means more suffering and death

11 September 2017

A one-month deadline issued by Parliament’s Select Committee on Social Services to KwaZulu-Natal’s Health Department to come up with a detailed turnaround plan means yet another delay in the provision of adequate healthcare services in the province and ultimately further suffering and death.

The ultimatum, issued on Thursday evening , comes as the province faces an oncology crisis along with serious medical equipment and staff shortages.

The DA regards this latest deadline as yet another reprieve for the Department. It is now almost three months since the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) issued its damning report which found that KZN Health MEC, Sibongiseni Dhlomo and his Department were failing to provide adequate treatment to cancer sufferers in the province and had violated patients’ rights.

Since then there has been meeting after meeting with nothing but talk about plans to resolve the dire situation that exists. These same meetings have seen the MEC duck and dive when it comes to answering tough questions. This while he enjoys the protection of the ANC, with both KZN Premier Willies Mchunu and National Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi refusing to fire him.

It is clear that MEC Dhlomo refuses to accept liability for the dire state that his Department is in. It is also increasingly apparent that he and his senior officials have no idea how to solve the problem they have created. This is borne out by the MEC’s recent comments at a health portfolio committee that he cannot give any indication as to when the crisis will be resolved.

On Wednesday the KZN Health Portfolio Committee will meet with the SAHRC where the DA will raise its concerns over the MEC’s failure to implement the recommendations contained in the report

The time for talk and deadlines is over. It is clear that the MEC cannot solve the disastrous situation that he has created and he must be fired.

Issued by Imran Keeka, DA KZN Spokesperson on Health, 11 September 2017