A matter of life and death.
That's how the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape described the situation at hospitals in Nelson Mandela Bay metro - specifically the oncology departments of both Provincial and Livingstone Hospitals.
The party has lodged a formal complaint against the provincial Health Department with the South African Human Right Commission (SAHRC).
In the complaint, directed at the SAHRC's Eastern Cape Provincial Manager, Dr Eileen Carter, the DA's Shadow MEC for Health, Jane Cowley, cited "ongoing and systemic failure to provide chemotherapy treatment to patients".
She alleged that patients diagnosed with cancer are being denied access to life-saving medication due to the collapse of oncology service delivery.
"Chemotherapy drugs have been out of stock for extended periods, and treatment delays have become routine," the complaint reads.
"This has led to avoidable suffering, rapid disease progression, and, in some cases, the premature death of patients who could have survived with timely intervention."
The DA said it's aware of, "through credible internal sources," that stock-outs have become a regular occurrence at the hospitals.
Cowley said the matter is one of life and death.
"Every delay places more patients at risk of irreversible harm.
"We therefore urge the Commission to treat this submission with the seriousness and urgency it deserves."
In response, the provincial Health Department issued a media statement that it has set aside "R200-million for specialist medicines, including for cancer treatment".
Health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said: "R43 million of this allocation will be utilised in paying pharmaceutical companies of cancer medicines that were owed from the last financial year.
"This payment is expected to be effected this week. The payment will assist in clearing existing backlogs before the end of May 2025."
Kupelo said R2-billion is budgeted annually for all categories of essential medicines in "in all our health facilities".
"Cancer patients are receiving their treatment.
"In some instances, alternative regimes were administered. This week, the department is expecting additional stock from Adcock Health, Fresenius, Kiara, and Macleods.
"At least two senior officials at the level of the chief directors were assigned to Gqeberha to accelerate service delivery issues at both Livingstone and Dora Nginza hospitals," he said.
Kupelo added that a total of ten doctors and 20 nurses have been appointed for Dora Nginza hospital.
