Gauteng High Court Intervenes in Cancer Treatment Backlog
Gauteng High Court Intervenes in Cancer Treatment Backlog
Johannesburg – April 9, 2025>> Read more: Health and Well Being
In a significant legal development, the Gauteng High Court has ordered the provincial Department of Health to take immediate and concrete steps to address the mounting backlog in cancer treatment services. The ruling follows growing public outcry and legal pressure from civil society organizations over the state’s failure to provide timely care to cancer patients, many of whom have waited months—some even years—for life-saving treatment.
The court found that the delay in providing oncology services constituted a violation of patients’ constitutional rights to access healthcare and dignity. In its judgment, the court emphasized the urgency of the situation and the potentially fatal consequences of further inaction.
“This is a matter of life and death,” the presiding judge said during the ruling. “The government has an obligation to provide essential health services without unreasonable delay, and that duty has not been met.”
The case was brought forward by the Cancer Alliance and Section27, organizations that have long advocated for equitable cancer care across South Africa. Their legal submissions highlighted systemic failures, including broken radiation machines, understaffed oncology units, and severe shortages of chemotherapy drugs in Gauteng’s public hospitals.
According to affidavits submitted during the case, some patients have been forced to wait over six months for basic cancer diagnostics or treatment initiation—delays that, in many cases, result in disease progression and reduced survival odds.
“This ruling is a major victory for cancer patients who have suffered in silence,” said Thuli Maseko, a spokesperson for the Cancer Alliance. “We now need to ensure the Department of Health complies fully and swiftly.”
In response, the Gauteng Department of Health acknowledged the court’s ruling and issued a brief statement pledging to develop an action plan within the court-mandated timeframe. However, critics remain cautious, citing a history of unfulfilled promises and chronic underfunding.
Healthcare experts have welcomed the ruling as a step toward accountability, but warn that long-term solutions will require significant investment in infrastructure, workforce development, and the maintenance of medical equipment.
As the province scrambles to meet the court’s demands, the ruling has renewed calls for national reform in cancer care, with advocates urging other provinces to take note—and action—before similar legal battles emerge elsewhere.
