Gauteng cancer patients battle illness and broken system amid R784m funding dispute

While millions of rands for cancer treatment pile up, patients in Gauteng are fighting not just their illness but also a broken system.

The Cancer Alliance, represented by advocacy group Section27, has filed an application in the High Court in Johannesburg against the Gauteng health department for its alleged failure to spend R784 million allocated by the Gauteng Treasury in 2023 to address the radiation backlog and other surgical backlogs in the province.

The alliance says that for Gauteng’s cancer patients, the promise of life-saving treatment has turned into a gruelling wait.

Cancer Alliance court case

Earlier in April, the alliance, with Section27, the Treatment Action Campaign, and patients waiting for cancer treatment, marched to the department’s offices demanding that it use the R784 million allocated for cancer treatment.

Lydia Staats from Springs was among the crowd.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2022 and has since had one recurrence.

She has waited for 18 months to get radiation oncology treatment.

“I should have never had a reccurrence if I had access to finish my treatment when I was supposed to, instead I had to start treatment all over again. At one point last year, I thought it was the last Christmas I was having with my family because we had waited and lost hope,” she said.

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The court motions are in two parts – the first seeks urgent relief from the department, including halting the expenditure of R250 million related to a portion of an awarded tender and mandating the department to update the backlog list of cancer patients and provide necessary radiation and oncology services urgently.

In the second part, the motion aims to review and set aside the department’s 30 April, 2024 decision on the allocation of R250 million out of a R784 million fund for outsourcing radiation oncology services.

‘Unlawful’

It argues that the decision is irrational and unlawful.

Staats said despite eventually getting radiation treatment in June, she remained anxious for other patients on the waiting list.

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Her affidavit will form part of the case that will be heard tomorrow.

“Now I don’t have any fears concerning myself anymore.

“My fear is now concerning other cancer patients. I knew cancer patients personally who have died while waiting for radiation treatments, and I know cancer patients who have been waiting for radiation treatments and had recurrences like myself.

“But unfortunately, their cancer has spread to other organs,” she said.

Treatment ‘will start’

During the march, Gauteng health department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba acknowledged that there had been delays in providing radiation treatment.

While Modiba gave the assurance that treatment would start, the odds are not in the favour of some patients.

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Thato Moncho was diagnosed with cancer in September 2020 and had three recurrences over a four-year period.

She had been on the waiting list to receive radiation treatment.

Moncho said her cancer had spread and she could no longer make use of radiation treatment. “In one of my appointments last year, the doctor told me the cancer had moved to my lungs.

“Earlier this year, the doctor said because the cancer had moved to other organs of my body, radiation was no longer a necessity for me.

“The only thing I need to do is live on chemo tablets that I take 14 days in and 14 days out to help me go through for the rest of my life,” she said.

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The alliance said in 2020 Charlotte Maxeke Hospital had seven operational radiation oncology machines, but it now operates with only two while serving about 2 000 new patients annually.

Alliance director Salome Meyer said despite the department being allocated R784 million in 2023, for the backlog in radiation oncology and surgery, it has made no meaningful progress in providing radiation oncology treatment to those on the backlog list.