Victory for Shongwe Hospital Cancer Patients after ActionSA complaint to SAHRC and the Department of Health
Thoko Mashiane
ActionSA Mpumalanga Premier Candidate
ActionSA welcomes the swift response by the Department of Health of repairing the broken cancer machine meant to treat thousands of patients at Shongwe Hospital in the Mpumalanga Province.
Upon learning of the equipment that was broken for two (2) years, I wrote to the Mpumalanga department of health and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) demanding that they remedy this situation. It is disappointing that to this day, our healthcare system is not proactive in addressing and managing the health of our population but rather reactive.
Patients who miss radiation therapy sessions during cancer treatment have an increased risk of their disease returning, even if they eventually complete their course of radiation treatment. It is therefore imperative that our people have access to affordable, quality healthcare at all times, provided by well-resourced and professional medical professionals at highly efficient healthcare institutions.
It is our commitment as ActionSA that once in government, we will do the following:
Mobilize the required funding to bring machines and training for local specialists
Increase the number of machines to enable people to access radiation therapy when they need it – to a far higher proportion than the present one machine for one million people;
Increase the utilization of existing machines by training more doctors and other health professionals in their safe and effective use and;
Establish good clinical and safety practices in radiotherapy institutions
ActionSA will continue fighting for social justice and quality healthcare for all South Africans. Once in government, we will establish national cancer management programmes that include prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and palliative care.
It is only this kind of action that will fix our health system and ensure that millions of lives are saved.
Victory for Shongwe Hospital Cancer Patients after ActionSA complaint to SAHRC and the Department of Health
ActionSA welcomes the swift response by the Department of Health of repairing the broken cancer machine meant to treat thousands of patients at Shongwe Hospital in the Mpumalanga Province.
Upon learning of the equipment that was broken for two (2) years, I wrote to the Mpumalanga department of health and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) demanding that they remedy this situation. It is disappointing that to this day, our healthcare system is not proactive in addressing and managing the health of our population but rather reactive.
Patients who miss radiation therapy sessions during cancer treatment have an increased risk of their disease returning, even if they eventually complete their course of radiation treatment. It is therefore imperative that our people have access to affordable, quality healthcare at all times, provided by well-resourced and professional medical professionals at highly efficient healthcare institutions.
It is our commitment as ActionSA that once in government, we will do the following:
ActionSA will continue fighting for social justice and quality healthcare for all South Africans. Once in government, we will establish national cancer management programmes that include prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and palliative care.
It is only this kind of action that will fix our health system and ensure that millions of lives are saved.