DA to visit KZN hospitals in midst of cancer treatment crisis

Durban – Democratic Alliance (DA) shadow minister for health, Patricia Kopane, is expected to visit Addington and Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospitals, accused of failing to adequately treat cancer patients, in Durban on Monday. 
 
This follows a South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) report which found the KwaZulu-Natal health department guilty of violating the rights of the cancer patients in the two hospitals. 

The report said the department failed to maintain and acquire functional equipment, provide access to adequate oncology services and monitor the health needs of oncology patients in the province.

DA MPL Imran Keeka lodged a formal complaint with the SAHRC in 2016 after it came to light that cancer patients did not have access to proper healthcare services; including severe shortages of staff and a lack of functional health technology machines for screening, diagnosing and treating cancer. 

In a statement on Sunday, Kopane said the lack of services to cancer patients has potentially resulted in the deaths of no less than 300 cancer patients in the province.