Cancer Patients Triumph As Doctor's Dismissal Overturned

A group of cancer patients has scored a major legal victory after fighting to keep their long-time doctor on duty, following a controversial fallout between the oncologist and a Cape Town private hospital.

The dispute began when Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital in Pinelands abruptly severed ties with Dr Louis Kathan, an oncologist credited with producing outstanding results in the treatment of seriously ill patients, as per Medical Brief . The move sparked outrage among patients, some of whom had been under his care for more than a decade.

But in a dramatic courtroom twist, the Western Cape High Court ruled in favour of the patients, stating that the hospital's actions infringed on their constitutional rights - particularly their ability to make decisions about their own healthcare.

Handing down judgment on 15 April, Judge Eduard Wille said the hospitals termination of Kathan's practising rights was not only heavy-handed but unlawful.

The court found that removing the doctor without offering alternatives or considering the clinical impact amounted to a direct obstruction of patients access to medical care. Life Healthcare Holdings, which oversees the hospital, had argued that it was within its rights to part ways with Kathan over allegations of inappropriate behaviour.