New cancer centre to treat 20,000 patients
May 21, 2015
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni opened a state-of-the-art cancer center at Mulago National Referral Hospital, capable of treating 20,000 patients per year built in partnership with Uganda Cancer Institute
By Taddeo Bwambale
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday opened a state-of-the-art cancer center at Mulago National Referral Hospital, capable of treating 20,000 patients per year.
The new facility has adult, paediatric, out-patient and research clinics, specimen repository, a training center, pharmacy and conference rooms.
It was built through a partnership between the Uganda Cancer Institute and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre that seeks to reduce the global cancer burden.
The facility is the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa and will handle referrals for diagnosis and management of cancer cases, its director, Dr Jackson Orem disclosed during the launch.
Museveni advised Ugandans to embrace simple measures such as good nutrition, hygiene and immunisation in order to avoid some of the cancers that can be prevented.
He hailed the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre and the US government for funding the establishment of the new facility and pledged government support to buy more equipment.