This is the second incident in less than a month in which radiation machines break down at a Gauteng hospital due to poor maintenance after a failure by the province to pay the service provider, Siemens. In February, four radiation machines at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria also broke down due to poor maintenance.

Jack Bloom, the DA spokesperson for Gauteng Health said he was contacted this morning by the brother of Mr Anthony Ramothale, a 49-year old colon cancer patient, who was told that the machine broke down last Friday. Ramothale said the machine should have been repaired over the weekend, ‘€œbut this did not happen because the service provider had not been paid’€.

‘€œI visited the oncology department [at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital] and found that this is one of eight radiation machines that treat about 300 patients daily,’€ said Bloom. The breakdown of this machine means that more than 30 patients could not be treated today.

‘€œThe department is interacting with the hospital and concerned company to understand why the equipment is not functioning,’€ said Simon Zwane, spokesperson for the Gauteng Health Department. ‘€œPayments for the repairs have been processed and we therefore need to understand why this equipment has not been attended to.’€

Bloom claimed that an intermediary company, called Phambili, delayed the payment to Siemens. ‘€œI agree with National Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi that this type of middle man as a problem as it unnecessarily pushes up costs.’€

 ‘€œNow more than ever we need to lobby for cancer to be paid for from the National Health budget not from provincial budgets,’€ said Linda Greef, director at the NGO, People Living with Cancer. In an earlier statement, Greef said that providing for cancer treatment from the national Health budget will ensure quality service delivery and more equitable service levels across all provinces. ‘€œThat way we can be sure that all cancer patients have access to the same services and drugs in all provinces of South Africa.’€