The newly installed Cobalt 60 radiotherapy cancer machine has officially been commissioned, close to two years after the older one broke down.
The machine whose installation and testing was completed in November last year has Friday been launched by the Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda at the National Referral Hospital in Mulago.
Uganda’s first ever and only radiotherapy machine acquired in 1995 went out of service in March of 2016, triggering a major crisis in the country. The Agha Khan Hospital in Nairobi would later offer radiotherapy treatment to 400 cancer patients for free.
A new ultra modern machine Cobalt 60 teletherapy unit for radiotherapy treatment of cancer was procured at a sum of 64,830 Euros from the Czech Republic based UJ praha manufacturers in May 2017.
As opposed to the previous machine, the new unit is digitally managed, possesses a pneumatically driven source drawer and 360 degrees rotation capacity for effective diagnosis.
It has the capacity of treating 80 cancer patients every day.
A total of 120 patients have so far been treated since December 4, last year when the first patient was put in machine. However, the demand is increasing, says officials from the Cancer Institute.
While speaking at the commissioning ceremony held at the Uganda Cancer Institute, Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda said; “This is not just restoration but expansion and upgrading the quality of helath care. It is transformation in the delivery of radiotherapy services”.
He said that the resumption of cancer radiotherapy services at Mulago marks beginning of next phase of modernization of cancer management.
“Investing in early testing and prompt treatment is much needed at a time when cancer is taking a toll on many countries with disturbing statistics,” Rugunda said.
The incidence of cancer in Uganda has more than doubled over the last 10 years. Out of 100,000 Ugandans, 320 are new cancer patients while mortality rate stands at 80 people per 100 cancer cases in a year’s period.
Health Minister, Dr Ruth Aceng noted that the Radiotherapy Department has been upgraded to offer better services following major renovations and infrastructure upgrades that were undertaken.
However, she pointed out the need to procure another radiotherapy machine as well as addressing the gaps in specialized human resource personel.
“This new machine treats 80 patients per day but one machine is not adequate. We also need more funding and more oncologists, physisits and other cancer specialists,” the Minister said.
Government is in the final process of constructing four teletherapy bunkers and two Brachytherapy bunkers, expected to be completed by July this year. Aceng said that treatment of the first patient is expected by the end of 2018.
In his remarks, Ambassador Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) promised continued collaboration with Uganda in support the use of nuclear technology.
“Administration of life saving radiotherapy is a major cause for celebration. As IAEA, we work to help developing countries to develop nuclear materials to better lives,” Yukiya said.
“But human resource is more important as we need to update and upgrade so as to catch up with the evolving new technologies,” he said.
Cancer is the second leading cause after cardiovascular diseases, and it accounted for 8.2 million deaths in 2012, according to World Health Organization. Radiotherapy is said to contribute significantly to treatment for its cost effectiveneness.
