ACDP commends considered approach to Medical Innovation Bill

ACDP Parliament
Media Release
Cheryllyn Dudley, MP and Whip
17 September 2014

ACDP Member of Parliament, Cheryllyn Dudley, attended a briefing this morning on the Medical Innovation Bill which has been introduced by the Honourable Narend Singh (IFP) and has been referred to the Health Portfolio Committee.

The presentation held the view that since one in three people in South Africa will get cancer, many thousands of cancer patients in this country who are told to 'go home and die' will remain without access to innovative alternatives.

The response from the committee chairperson was that a lot of work is still to be done and that other committees such as Trade and Industry and Science and Technology will need to engage.

Members expressed the need for there to be a rational evidence based approach to this Bill and not an emotional one in view of its connection to the late Hon Mario Oriani-Ambrosini (IFP).

Dudley says that, “The ACDP agrees in principle with legislation making provision for innovation, keeping in mind that the National Health Act speaks to this in detail and will need to be carefully considered.

We know that presently morphine (a form of heroine) is used for pain control for terminally ill cancer patients - morphine is toxic and lethal as it actively speeds up the death of the patients.

However, the ACDP does not and will not endorse recreational use of cannabis or any attempts to move in this direction.

What is controversial and unlikely to be entertained by our ACDP constituency and the broader South African Society is the goal of 'commercialization of Cannabis.”

This proposed legislation will be subjected first to Public and scientific scrutiny and input through Public submissions and hearings.

“The ACDP commends the committee on its considered approach to this Bill and the recognition that it is contentious”, Dudley added.

The ACDP will report further on this matter once the public process begins and gains momentum in development.