Today, my colleague, Dr Imran Keeka MPL and I are picketing outside of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Legislature ahead of the special meeting of the portfolio committee on health. The KZN Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo is due to attend in order to discuss his submissions to the South African Human Rights Commission regarding the province’s ongoing oncology crisis.
This special meeting is frankly long overdue. More than 300 cancer patients tragically lost their lives because of the apparent negligence of MEC Dhlomo and the provincial and national health departments.
MEC Dhlomo must be held accountable for his hand in the tragic deaths of the victims.
Dr Keeka will, therefore, use this meeting to highlight some of the pertinent issues in the KwaZulu-Natal health sector. Some of the issues Dr Keeka will be addressing include:
- The ongoing horror stories of how vulnerable and sick patients continue to suffer and sadly passed away due to lack of cancer treatment in the province.
- The oncology crisis is just the tip of the iceberg. There is an apparent lack of Nephrology, pharmacology, mortuary services and EMRS services in KZN.
- The hostility towards Members of Parliament and Members of the Provincial Legislature when they perform oversight visits at public hospitals. We must have access to health care institutions.
- The DA’s continued calls for the MEC to vacate his positions. He must go.
The DA in KwaZulu-Natal has worked tirelessly to get justice for the victims of this crises.
Officials in the province have tried to block our attempts to hold the guilty parties accountable. The DA, however, remains resolute.
Justice delayed is justice denied and the DA simply will not allow for the affected victims to suffer any longer.