This development comes on the back of confirmation the provincial health department has entered into an agreement with an unnamed private hospital in Kimberley to provide public hospital cancer patients in the province with radiation therapy due to the lack of Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machines in the province.

Department spokesperson, Lulu Mxekezo, says so far twelve patients have been scanned as preparation for radiotherapy, while four others are scheduled to be scanned at the unnamed private hospital. Mxekezo adds that two patients have completed treatment thus far. It is unknown how much the department is paying the private facility for this service. It is yet to be determined how much the centre costs.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize reveals in his written response to questions posed by Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament (MP), Siviwe Gwarube, on the Parliament Monitoring Group website that the only two Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machines that were at the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital (RMSH) in Kimberley are non-functional and need to be replaced.

RadiologyInfo.org defines a linear accelerator machine (LINAC) as “the device most commonly used for external beam radiation treatments for patients with cancer. It delivers high-energy x-rays or electrons to the region of the patient's tumour”.

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