South Africa: Ghosted By the Eastern Cape Health Department - How Bureaucratic Silence Is Destroying Stoma Patient Dignity

By Faizel Jacobs

The South African Society of Stomates' offer to help tackle the stoma crisis has been met with silence.

The South African Society of Stomates' offer to help tackle the stoma crisis has been met with silence.

In July 2023, Daily Maverick journalist Mark Heywood exposed the national crisis facing stoma patients - people across South Africa forced to use plastic bags and masking tape because hospitals had failed to supply them.

Two years later, that story has not changed, except for one thing: civil society is stepping up.

When doors closed, dignity demanded entry

When Asanda contacted the South African Society of Stomates (SASS), describing how she was using a plastic bag - the same type used for fruit and vegetables - sealed with electrical tape to fashion a stoma pouch, we reached out, via the Cancer Alliance, to Dr Rolene Wagner, the Eastern Cape health head. She immediately convened a meeting with her team to address this crisis and other concerns raised by partner civil society organisations.

Following that engagement, SASS presented a practical, no-cost proposal to support the Eastern Cape Health Department sustainably. The proposal included:

250kg of ostomy supplies for immediate deployment;Free nurse training to correctly script and manage ostomy patients;Ongoing mentorship by a qualified stoma nurse specialist; andFree access to the SASSLink App...

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