KZN Oncology crisis saga continues
"When we tried to gain access to the oncology department at the Addington Hospital, we were met by armed security who barred us from entering."
THE KZN Oncology crisis saga, which has been hogging the headlines recently continued on Monday, when Member of Parliament and DA Shadow Minister of Health, Patricia Kopane and the DA KZN Health Spokesperson, Dr Imran Keeka were barred from entering the oncology department at Addington Hospital.
Kopane said they were forcibly denied entry to the hospital after the KZN Provincial Health Department suddenly revoked their permission to do an oversight visit to both the Addington and Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospitals.
“When we tried to gain access to the oncology department at Addington Hospital we were met by armed security who barred us from entering. It seems as though the KZN Health Department is hiding something – we now question whether the oncology services at the hospital have been improved at all. The arrogance with which the KZN Health MEC, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, handled this visit is completely unacceptable. It is because of his seeming mismanagement that hundreds of cancer patients lost their lives,” she said.
Meanwhile, the KZN MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo issued a reminder on how hospital and clinic visits by Members of Parliament; Members of Provincial Legislatures and Councillors are supposed to be structured. Dhlomo said in health institutions, even the relatives of the admitted patients were required to observe stipulated visiting hours. He said oversight was indeed a constitutional mandate.
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“Members of political parties know that they cannot just show up at a hospital or clinic and purport to be there for oversight reasons. This is highly disruptive as it means that the hospital or clinic management and clinicians must stop attending to patients and entertain the Honourable Member who still has at times be oriented on how each section works. These prescribes apply to all Government institutions, whether it’s a school, a police station or a court,” added Dhlomo.
“The DA reiterates our call for Dhlomo to be removed from his post. We are exploring various avenues to ensure that he faces the full consequences of his failures. We will not be deterred by the MEC and the KZN Health Department’s intimidation tactics. We will continue to fight for people’s right to have access to quality healthcare services,” Kopane said.
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According to Dhlomo, Members of Parliament visit Government institutions to perform their oversight duties and this is well structured and follows the National Parliamentary prescripts. As pertaining to health institutions, the visits are arranged and organised through the respective Provincial Health Portfolio Committees. This is so for the following reasons:
“To arrange for minimal disruptions to patient privacy; patient bathing times; patient diagnosis as well as patient care. To ensure that such visits do not interfere with the Doctors’ routine rounds and consultations. Most importantly, hospitals have various designated sections for different ailments – the Health Portfolio Committee deliberates on the purpose; the sections to be visited as well as how the visit should be structured,” he said.
