Private cancer centre to close at the end of the year
With the impending closure of the centre looming over oncology treatment, private patients will be the hardest hit.
Come December, Hopelands Cancer Centre Newcastle will close its doors after more than 20 years. With the impending closure of the centre looming over oncology treatment, private patients will be the hardest hit.
Doctor Ziad Seedat, Managing Director of the Hopelands Group, said: “The decision to close this clinic was therefore a difficult one, and was made after a long period of careful consideration of the needs of our patients, as well as our ability to continue to provide a quality consultation and chemotherapy administration service at this location.”
Hopelands Cancer Centre has been providing oncology services in Newcastle and the surrounding areas for many years. Patients from as far as Wakkerstroom, Piet Retief, Vryheid, Volksrust, Madadeni and Osizweni are on the list.
Dr Seedat alleged South Africa faced a cancer epidemic, with the incidences of new cancer cases projected to double over the next 20 years.
“Resources to tackle this disease are unfortunately highly constrained, particularly with regards the number of skilled oncologists available to serve the needs of those afflicted. Apart from running private clinics at eight other locations across the province, Hopelands Cancer Centre is also providing assistance at state facilities to alleviate treatment delays at these facilities,” he added.
Dr Seedat emphasised issues such as emigration of doctors, movement of doctors to other provinces, and poor health had affected its team, due the stresses of increasing workloads, as well as the current lack of training of new oncologists in KZN, which continued to deplete its capacity.
“Crime, power interruptions, and transport and logistic issues also pose major challenges to running clinics that are separated by considerable distances.”
He said taking these factors into account, it was unfortunately no longer possible to provide a sustainable oncology facility in Newcastle.
Where will cancer patients receive their treatment from next year?
“Hopelands Cancer Centre continues to operate a chemotherapy facility at Essen Medical Centre in Ladysmith every week, and this facility has been expanded to enable it to accommodate patients from a wider area of this part of the province. We also provide radiotherapy treatment facilities in Hilton, Pietermaritzburg, Hillcrest and central Durban, and accommodation is available at these sites for patients from other parts of KZN who require this treatment.”
In conclusion, Dr Seedat said this decision was therefore taken out of the necessity to efficiently allocate the group’s limited resources, to serve all the patients within the province.
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