DA holds urgent meeting with SAHRC as KZN oncology crisis worsens
25 January 2018
The Democratic Alliance has today met with senior members of the South African Human Rights Commission to discuss the ongoing deterioration of oncology services in KwaZulu-Natal.
The DA requested this meeting after it became clear that neither KZN Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo nor KZN Premier Willies Mchunu are adequately implementing the recommendations by the SAHRC and doing enough to address the ongoing KZN oncology crisis.
In June last year, the Commission found KZN Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo guilty of having violated the rights of cancer patients to adequate treatment.
Despite this damning finding and the numerous recommendations by the SAHRC seven months ago, matters are even worse today. The DA is extremely concerned by the fact that:
- There are no new appointments being given to extremely ill cancer patients;
- Patients are waiting for up to nine months to receive proper treatment. In some cases they are dying before they are seen by an oncologist;
- Volunteer oncologists are now only available once a week to assist patients. This was always meant to be an interim measure and the DoH has failed in this regard ;
- There is no indication of the recruitment of new oncologists by the Department. Meanwhile, the two qualifying registrars, who would have joined the Department in August last year, could not qualify after the DoH was not accredited to provide their training; and
- There is still no news on the repair of or purchase of new oncology machines in the province.
The DA is now more convinced than ever before of MEC Dhlomo's incompetence. Equally disappointing is the inability of Premier Willies Mchunu to hold him to account and the DA is of the firm view that legal proceedings must be initiated against the KZN Office of the Premier, the provincial Speaker and the KZN Finance MEC for promising interventions which they have failed to implement.
Of further concern are the lack of oversight mechanisms within the Legislature to ensure the realisation of the SAHRC’s recommendations.
Given the seriousness of this issue, the DA, in June last year, recommended that a sub-committee be formed for this specific purpose. Yet the powers that be chose to leave this important task with KZN’s health portfolio committee which already has its hands full with all the many problems under Dhlomo’s administration.
Following today’s meeting, the DA is satisfied that adequate steps are being taken by the SAHRC to hold MEC Dhlomo accountable. The Commission has also stated that they will do everything they can in terms of their mandate and the Act that governs them in order to ensure that the rights of KZN citizens are upheld.
It is critical that MEC Dhomo is not let off the hook. As the province’s chief violator of human rights he must be held to account for the suffering he has caused and continues to cause.
Issued by Imran Keeka, DA KZN Spokesperson on Health, 25 January 2018
