Much awaited cancer machine now at Malaba

Dr Jackson Orem, the director of Uganda Cancer Institute [UCI], has said the much awaited Cancer Radiotherapy Machine will arrive in the country anytime from now.

Dr Jackson Orem, flanked by Dr. Ddungu Henry, Dr. Noleb Mugisha and Dr Marisa Mika, was at the celebrations marking 50 years of existence of Uganda Cancer Institute in Mulago.

He said the Radiotherapy machine will be arriving anytime from now since it is already at Port Malaba.

“The cancer machine is already at Malaba and anytime from now it will be in the country,” he reiterated.

The Minister of State for Primary Health Care, Hon. Dr. Joyce Moriku, told Parliament in June that the consignment would arrive at Mombasa on 28th July, 2017.

“Installation will then commence and is anticipated to take four to six weeks if all goes well. Following the successful installation, acceptance tests will be carried out for one week by the International Atomic Energy Agency,” said Dr. Moriku.

Dr Orem says UCI is on the way of becoming the leading cancer institute in Africa.

“We are so happy to celebrating 50 years today of dedicated service to the general public of Uganda and citizens from our neighbours,” he said.

He promised free cancer screenings every day of the week till 3rd September at the Institute.

Dr Orem said Uganda Cancer Institute started off as a research project at the University and today it is a National program that is autonomous.

“We encourage the herbalists to come forward to work with us so that we can scrutinize and regulate on the usage of the herbal.”

He said the amount of cancer in the villages is much greater than what in Kampala.

He said in the next 4-5 years, they want to have cancer institutes in Mbarara, Mbale and Gulu towns.