Mpumalanga opens its first oncology unit in Rob Ferreira Hospital
The Mpumalanga Department of Health has officially opened the province’s first oncology centre.
This new oncology unit is housed in the province’s tertiary hospital, Rob Ferreira, situated in Mbombela.
During the official launch of the unit on Thursday, the provincial MEC for health, Sasekani Manzini, said it would help ease the burden previously faced by thousands of cancer patients who had to travel to Gauteng for medical care.
“Cancer is a leading cause of death globally, with increasing numbers of people dying of cancer-related causes. In South Africa, deaths due to cancer represent approximately 9% of all causes of mortality in adults. Access to healthcare is often associated with socioeconomic status, insurance status and geographic location, with black Africans, poor, uninsured and rural residents experiencing the greatest barriers. Efforts to restructure the public health sector post-1994 have yielded marked successes in achieving improved access to care, rationalising health systems and improving health outcome indicators and equitable healthcare expenditure,” she said.
The oncology unit was made possible with the partnership the Department of Health has with Wits University.
In 2018, the Mpumalanga Department of Health and Wits University’s faculty for health sciences signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), committing to a progressive partnership for improved health services.
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Manzini said one of the clinical priorities within this MOU was the provision of oncology services in the province.
