Govt to wait for one year to return damaged cancer machine

Government is to wait for one year to return the radiotherapy machine commonly known as cobalt 60 radiation machine which broke down at the Mulago National Referral.

The breakdown of the equipment early this year caused panic at the Uganda's cancer Institute (UCI) as many patients were stranded because they could not undergo radiotherapy treatment.The machine was used to treat over 75 % of cancer patients.

The purpose of the machine is to offer radiation therapy which kills or damages cancer cells.

Radiation therapy is a common form of cancer therapy. It is used in more than half of all cancer cases.

The director of UCI, Dr Jackson Orema said that meanwhile the machine will be kept in a storage building until when it's taken by the donors. The Cobalt-60 radiation machine was donated in 1995 to UCI.

He says that,the process of returning the equipment to the donors, is long and it will take the institute one year to return the machine to the manufacturers.

Orema made the remarks at the UCI while he was receiving chemotherapy chairs worth over sh50m from the Associated Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

He said that the chairs will go a long way in assisting cancer patients at the ward during the chemotherapy treatment adding that patients will be able to sit comfortably without being disturbed.

Meanwhile 20 cancer patients are set to go free radiotherapy treatment in Agah Khan Hospital in Nairobi after government signed a memorandum of understanding with the hospital. Among the beneficiaries are five children.

The Chairperson of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Joyce Tamale commended her staff for the contributions that enabled the fulfilment of the pledge to the UCI as it's a gesture of giving back to people and living the ACCA value of accountability.

Currently the institute treats about 60,000 new cases annually. Cancer prevalence rate is estimated between 80000 and 10000 in East Africa.

But according to experts only 20% of those survive.

Some of the types of cancer managed by the experts at the UCI include, Breast Cancer, cervical cancer, Liver cancer, prostate and throat cancer among others.

UCI was recently upgraded to an East African treatment reference centre treating patients from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and DRC.