POLOKWANE – Cancer patients who had to receive radiation therapy at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital were sent home this week because the radiation machine was out of order.
The machine allegedly broke on Monday.
According to the patients, who spoke to Review on condition of anonymity out of fear of being victimised, said hospital personnel explained that the machines were old and the department did not have money to buy new ones. On March 4, during the provincial budget speech, the province received an overall budget allocation of R51,4 billion and from of this amount R14,3 billion was allocated to the department of health.
The patients also said personnel could not tell them when the machine would be working again. “They said they don’t know when the machine will be working and that we must phone the hospital every day to find out whether the machine is working or not. Apparently people from Johannesburg will come and repair the broken machine this week,” one of the patients explained.
Another patient said the department needed to work on a plan of action for cases like these. “Here we are, sick and stressed about our health, and a broken machine is standing in our way of getting better. This broken machine is interfering with our therapy. This can be a life or death situation, because without therapy, the reality is that we will die. This may not be something the department planned, but they must have an alternative to accommodate patients’ therapy,” a frustrated patient said.
A family member of a patient said “this is what you get when you do not have medical aid”.
“We are dependent on the department of health and we will die because they don’t care about our health. They all have medical aid so why worry if the machines at the provincial hospital are serviced and working. It is time that our government take care of us and not just during election times when they need votes,” the angry family member said.
Adele van der Linde, departmental spokesperson, confirmed that the machine was broken. “The department is working on repairing it as soon as possible. We have engaged with a service provider who will service the machines continuously to ensure this does not happen again.”
She advised patients to contact the MEC’s hotline at 0800 91 91 91 to confirm when the machine was working again.
