THE cancer crisis at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital heightened this week as nurses struggled to treat patients.
Private oncologists were only at the hospital for 90 minutes each day, which was not sufficient to handle the number of people who needed treatment.
The crisis has been sparked by mass resignations from the public health sector. The last oncologist left last week, resulting in thousands of cancer patients having to suffer.
Staff at the clinic said worse was to come in the week ahead as the four senior oncology registrars (training doctors) go on study leave to write their final examinations.
The hospital treats at least 80% of KwaZulu-Natal’s cancer patients as well as from as far as the Mozambican border. Some patients from these areas were told not to come for treatment this week.
The KZN department of health said last week that it would send the head of the oncology unit at Grey’s Hospital to oversee the clinic, but this did not happen.
It also emerged that not a single post for oncologists has been advertised despite the crisis.
The department released its list of new job postings last week but only posts for registrar positions were available on its website.
KZN Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo's department is under pressure. File Picture
A nurse at the hospital said the situation was becoming more and more heartbreaking for them as there was not much they could do besides waiting for the department to come up with a solid plan and to keep its word.
“In the meantime, we just have to tell patients that there is nothing we can do for them, and
this is one of the most difficult things for us to do.
“How do you tell someone who can be cured that they can no longer be cured just because there is nobody to help them?” the nurse asked.
KZN health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo could not respond to queries yesterday as he was attending a funeral.