A doctor who treated cancer patients admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital after they fell ill at the weekend’s healing rally has condemned the event arranged by controversial pastor Chris Oyakhilome.
“I am a firm believer in the ability of belief to overcome physical ailments such as Margaret Bellies’ arthritis, a predominantly subjective ailment. I do however feel sympathy for people with terminal illnesses who are fed unproven rubbish about spiritual cures, when all this produces is ongoing suffering,” said the doctor who asked that his name not be published for the sake of doctor-patient confidentiality.
Asked to be identified only as BG-Cape Town, he stated in a letter that several people were brought from Cape Town Stadium to the hospital. One was a terminally ill woman with cancer who had to endure crowded public transport, a long wait in a queue and having to return home in the early hours of the morning on the back of a bakkie “all for false promises of a cure”, he said.
Another was a male cancer patient, who had travelled by train to Cape Town and attempted to walk to the stadium, but collapsed along the way.
Hospital spokesperson, Alaric Jacobs confirmed the terminally ill man was returned to the hospital and said he was doing fine.
Meanwhile Daylin Mitchell, support officer for mayco member for tourism, Grant Pascoe said the city did not conduct due diligence on whether Oyakhilome’s Christ Embassy was in fact a not-for-profit organisation.
While Oyakhilome was apparently worth about R380 million, the organisation was given use of the stadium at a reduced price of R500 000.
“The city does not conduct an assessment of individuals who own or operate a given entity, even NPOs and NGOs. If an event organiser is able to deliver documented proof of its tax compliance and its registration compliance the city accepts this at face value. In addition the event organiser did not charge a ticketing fee for entrants which forms part of the city’s definition of an NPO,” Mitchell said.
Christ Embassy Cape Town’s pastor Karen Victor, who helped arrange the rally, could not be reached for comment.