Good news for Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hosptal cancer patients

Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) has acquired two linear accelerator machines to reduce the waiting time for cancer patients, the Gauteng Department of Health said in a statement on 5 March.

The two machines, procured at a value of R105 million, have impacted positively on about 71 cancer patients treated during the period of December 2019 to February this year.

The new machines were acquired after the previous machines needed to be replaced on 13 May 2019, and were decommissioned from September until November 2019.

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“The staff has undergone an intensive training programme to familiarise themselves with the new state-of-the-art technology,” said Kwara Kekana,  the spokesperson for Department of Health in Gauteng.

The department also procured two additional cancer machines, at a value of R52 million, to replace the old machines.

Several other measures had also been put in place to improve the treatment of cancer patients at the hospital, including:

• Extending working hours from 7.30am-4pm to 7am-8am.
• Collaborating with Steve Biko Academic Hospital to accommodate their cancer patients.
• Offering sessional hours to private practitioners.
• CMJAH will collaborate with Klerksdorp Hospital to take some of the cervical cancer patients to address the backlog as of March. This will see close to 80 patients being treated by July.