Oncology hope for cancer patients
ADURBAN family still reeling from the death of their father plan to report his ordeal to the South African Human Rights Commission because of the inhumane treatment he received at a Durban hospital.
Hoosen Noor Mahomed,
60, who shared his story with the Sunday Tribune Herald, last week, about how he was allegedly refused treatment at Addington Hospital, died on January 27, a few days after the interview.
Doctors at the hospital allegedly told Mahomed he was a stage four cancer patient who would die soon and so they could not treat him, which was in accordance with hospital policy.
With today being World Cancer Day, the dead man’s son, Hassan, said he was glad his father’s story went public as it had been an eye-opener for many.
“That’s what he wanted. It was my father’s wish for his story to be told before he passed away. We hope that it will make a difference to the lives of other patients,” said Hassan.
KZN’S Department of Health spokeswoman, Ncumisa Mafunda, had rejected the allegations and said there was no such policy of elderly patients not being treated if they were at stage four cancer.
Mafunda said stage four cancer patients continued to receive supportive care and some receive treatment at palliative care facilities across the province.
Noor Mahomed’s story sparked public outrage on social media as many decried the department for their treatment of cancer patients, and expressed their concern regarding oncology treatment in the province.
Noor Mahomed said the doctors also refused to operate to treat his tumour.
Steven Melville Armour commented: “It doesn’t matter how old you are. You should still be treated with dignity and respect.”
Another Facebook user who claimed to be a nurse, shared an opposing view.
“Taking a stage four cancer patient to surgery is often futile, as the surgery itself would kill him. It sounds like he was inoperable and that the treatment was palliative. He would have bled to death in the operating room, as the tumor largely affected his liver,” said the nurse.
The DA’S health spokesman, Dr Imran Keeka, said horror stories like Noor Mahomed’s often came out of public hospitals.
“Noor Mahomed’s case is not isolated and is a reflection of what’s happening within our hospitals with regard to the longstanding oncology crisis. Even doctors are tired of the situation. The department is promoting cancer screening but what happens after that when there are no oncologists to treat patients, after screening?” asked Keeka.
He said when patients were screened at stages one or two, by the time they saw an oncologist, it would be too late and some would die.
“Patients are still having to wait months to see an oncologist and in this time, some die. Frustrated doctors are now saying that department officials need to go to hospitals to explain to patients why they can’t be treated and that they would have to die,” said Keeka.
Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, who spoke at a breakfast meeting at Inkosi Albert Luthuli hospital this week, said Addington hospital’s oncology unit was expected to be fully functional within the next three months.
An oncology consortium had been awarded the tender to treat cancer patients at Addington and Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospitals. They were due to start work next month.