These are recurring issues in Gauteng which only ever receives temporary solutions from government and hospital managers, according to the Cancer alliance, a group of non-profit organisations advocating for the rights of cancer patients.

Public hospitals are the lifeline of most South Africans, with around 41 million people dependent on the public health system. Of the 50 million people in South Africa, only about eight million are covered by medical insurance.

‘€œYet poor service delivery due to easily rectifiable issues has led to the demise of many patients,’€ said the Cancer Alliance. ‘€œConsidering that South Africa has the largest health budget in Africa, this is deplorable,’€ they said in a statement.

Lack of access to medication, broken machinery and rescheduling has made accessing life-saving cancer treatment tough for many patients. One of the common reasons in Gauteng why suppliers of these specialised cancer machines have refused to undertake repairs is because the provincial Department of Health hasn’€™t paid outstanding bills.

Other issues experienced by patients include problems accessing medication and dealing with.

‘€œThis is unacceptable. Quality healthcare, which includes timely diagnosis and treatment, is a basic human right for all,’€ said Salomé Meyer, member of the Executive Council of the Cancer Alliance.

In a desperate attempt to gain access to treatment, many patients have approached the advocacy group, Campaigning for Cancer, while others are waiting for the system to correct itself, as they are unaware of an alternative or are afraid of recrimination.

‘€œPatient treatment is severely compromised due to the unavailability of equipment. Even just one month of delay can change the outcome of treatment ‘€“ this is the difference between life and death for many patients,’€ said Joel Perry, a Cancer Alliance member.

The Cancer Alliance shared a number of patient stories to illustrate the challenges.

Veronica Holman is a lung cancer survivor who went to Charlotte Maxeke Hospital for a check-up in April this year. She was informed that her tumour had grown and she would need chemotherapy. Her first chemotherapy treatment was successful, but things went downhill from there on out.

Holman’€™s second chemotherapy was due on May 2, but when she arrived at the hospital, she was told she couldn’€™t receive her treatment because the drug shipment had not arrived. For two weeks, she kept phoning the hospital to find out when the drug would become available.

After hitting a brick wall, Holman contacted Campaigning for Cancer to assist her with getting access to her treatment. It was only after they sent the Department of Health an official letter of complaint on May 17 that Holman finally received her treatment.

‘€œChemotherapy and radiation therapy cannot be interrupted; each patient requires full cycles of chemotherapy and radiation, within protocoled timeframes, for their treatment to be effective. This is putting patient’€™s lives at stake and will have poor outcomes for each one of them,’€ said Dr Devan Moodley, a Johannesburg oncologist.

Theresa Alberts, another cancer survivor, battled with rescheduling and equipment problems. Alberts had a scan confirmed for February 9 at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, but on January 31, she received a phone call from the hospital to tell her that her appointment had been rescheduled for February 23. But on February 9 the hospital contacted her again and told her that her appointment for the 23rd had been cancelled until further notice due to the fact that the machines were out of order.

‘€œThe last scan was very important as it would determine how much chemo and radiation I would need. I was very unhappy about this as I did not know how far the cancer had spread and how the delay of the treatment would affect my outcome,’€ says Alberts.

She was told that the situation was unfortunate, but there was nothing they could do about it. Her situation finally resolved itself, and in March this year she started receiving treatment again. In late March her treatment was interrupted again, because of more equipment issues.

‘€œCancer treatment is not like any other disease treatment. When treatment is not available, cancer patients begin to feel powerless, and it shatters the hope of patients and their families,’€ says oncology social worker Linda Greeff, a Cancer Alliance Member.

Roland Murphy, a prostate cancer patient at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, was severely affected by this problem. In 2010, Murphy’€™s cancer returned and he was put on Casodex, a common treatment for prostate cancer. But in March this year, he was told that he had become hormone resistant to the medication and would need to triple his dose.

When his granddaughter, Vicky Churchill, went to the hospital pharmacy to collect the medication, she was told they did not have it in stock. On June 8, Murphy went back to the hospital and notified his doctor that there was no stock. His doctor gave him a new script for the same drug, saying there is now a steady supply, but again, there was no medication in stock.

His doctor has reassured her that it’€™s not urgent, but ‘€œthe fact remains that cancer spreads and without the right treatment how far and how quickly will it spread through his bones?’€

Patients experiencing any difficulty accessing treatment or medication are encouraged to contact Campaigning for Cancer by calling 0861 ASK NOW (0861 275 699) or visiting the website, www.campaign4cancer.co.za