R511m on health unspent

With thousands of cancer patients on the waiting list for radiation treatment in Gauteng, the provincial department of health reportedly failed to spend R511 million of the budget for urgent cases.

- Masoka Dube

As the world comes to the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the province has 2652 cancer patients on the waiting list for radiation therapy.

Gauteng health and wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko made the shocking revelation while responding to DA questions in the Gauteng Legislature recently.

Nkomo-Ralehoko conceded that the budget for urgent cancer cases had not been spent since April last year.

She said Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital had 2 288 patients on the radiation therapy list, while 364 were at Steve Biko Academic Hospital.

The department said in the previous financial year, R250 million was not spent because the outsourcing to private facilities needed to be readvertised.

She did not give a straight answer as to why the R261 million in this year's budget had not been spent, as well.