budget cancer treatment patients

The Gauteng Provincial government has avail a R784 million budget for the treatment of cancer patients. Image: Pexels/Ivan Samkov

Gauteng province avails R784m to address the cancer treatment backlog

The DA welcomes the allocation of R784 million in last week’s Gauteng provincial budget to address the backlog of cancer treatment.

budget cancer treatment patients

The Gauteng Provincial government has avail a R784 million budget for the treatment of cancer patients. Image: Pexels/Ivan Samkov

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the allocation of R784 million in last week’s Gauteng provincial budget to address the backlog of cancer treatment, including surgery and radiation oncology.

3 000 CANCER PATIENTS ARE WAITING FOR TREATMENT

This is badly needed as about 3 000 cancer patients are waiting for treatment. It includes more than 1 000 men with prostate cancer and about 500 women with breast cancer who urgently need radiation therapy. The budget will address the backlog of about 3 000 cancer patients who need treatment urgently.

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Jack Bloom MPL – DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health says he commends the Gauteng Health Department for working with Section 27 and the Cancer Alliance to involve the private health sector in cutting the backlogs.

GAUTENG PROVINCE MADE R784M AVAILABLE FOR CANCER TREATMENT

“I commend the Gauteng Health Department for working with Section 27 and the Cancer Alliance to involve the private health sector in cutting the backlogs,” says Bloom.

Budget cancer treatment backlog
About 500 women with breast cancer urgently need radiation therapy. Photo: PEXELS

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He said this includes the urgent outsourcing of radiation treatment for those on the existing waiting list. It also expedites the procurement of new machines in the public sector.

“The cancer backlogs spiraled alarmingly due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the fire at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital,” says Bloom.

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THE BUDGET WILL HELP WITH THE 1 000 PROSTATE CANCER PATIENT BACKLOG

Bloom says this private/public partnership should also be used to reduce the 36 000 patients waiting for surgery in Gauteng. “This is mainly in orthopaedics, where hip and knee operations have a five-year waiting time,” he said.

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Bloom says he will closely monitor the spending for cancer treatment to ensure no corruption.

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