Gauteng health scrambles to spend R511m on cancer cases

The Gauteng department of health is working around the clock to address the cancer treatment backlog in the province, after it was reported that it had failed to spend R511 million on urgent cases.

- Masoka Dube

Gauteng health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said: "The department has completed the process to outsource radiotherapy services to private healthcare providers with an allocation of R260 million for 24 months.

"This move focuses on addressing the most urgent cases, with prostate cancer patients facing an average waiting time of 300 days and breast cancer patients around 120 days.

"The service level agreement is being finalised and treatments are expected to commence soon."