TWO RADIATION MACHINES STILL DOWN AT STEVE BIKO HOSPITAL

Two out of four radiation machines used to treat cancer are still broken at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria.

This is a month after all four machines broke down because the service provider Siemens had not been paid. Only two have been repaired, which is putting the lives of many cancer patients at risk.

Yesterday, Mr Winston Ntsekhe (69), the father of Gauteng DA Provincial Spokesperson Rifiloe Ntsekhe, was told that he could not have radiation treatment for cancer as the machines were not working. He was told he would be contacted in two weeks.

It is very distressing that machines at the hospital are not functional because of non-payment. It follows the breakdown this week of a radiation machine at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital because of another payment dispute with Siemens.

The Gauteng Health Department must sort out this issue once and for all as soon as possible.

Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Health Spokesman, March 13 2012

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