Salome Meyer: Ensuring Timely and Dignified Cancer Care in South Africa
Salome Meyer, Independent Consultant at Private, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“The right to timely cancer care was reaffirmed with today’s important ruling. Yet, cancer patients in Gauteng and across South Africa continue to face devastating delays in access to treatment. Forcing patients to wait longer than three months for life-saving care is nothing short of criminal negligence.
Our health system is collapsing under the weight of broken radiotherapy infrastructure, empty treatment bunkers, and critical staff shortages. Patients are placed on waiting lists that stretch for months, while their cancers progress unchecked.
This is not just a health crisis – it is a violation of human rights.
At Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH), Radiation Oncology services remain in crisis. There are not enough linear accelerators (Linacs), not enough staff to operate them, and no emergency plan to resolve the shortage. The Department of Health has failed to finalise tenders for ‘baby Linacs,’ and empty cobalt bunkers stand as a stark symbol of neglect.
Meanwhile, the Gauteng Department of Health points to machines that have been sitting in storage since 2022, with promises that new bunkers ‘under construction’ will be ready in 2026. Even if true, there is no clarity on how these facilities will be staffed, when CMJAH itself cannot retain radiographers due to the unresolved Occupational Specific Dispensation (OSD) dispute. This is a failure of planning, governance, and accountability.
‘Every delay costs lives. It is unacceptable that in 2025, patients are still dying on waiting lists because of government inaction. The right to cancer care is enshrined in our Constitution – we cannot allow this ongoing violation of patients’ rights to continue. The ruling further confirms that cancer patients have the right to be treated with the dignity they deserve. They have the right to information about their treatment, and failure to communicate with them is a gross violation of their rights. We call on the Gauteng Department of Health to stop wasting money on legal processes and instead ensure that patients receive treatment and are properly informed of their treatment plans.’
The Cancer Alliance (South Africa) calls for urgent action:
- Immediate resolution of the OSD dispute in respect of radiographers
- Accelerated procurement and commissioning of radiation oncology equipment, with transparent timelines.
- Integrated workforce planning to ensure new facilities are functional, not empty shells.
- Recognition of cancer care as an essential service, protected under the constitutional right to health. Patients cannot wait until 2026!
The Gauteng Department of Health can – and must – do better. Cancer Alliance (South Africa) will continue to hold authorities accountable until every patient receives the timely care they deserve.”
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