The Radiotherapy Machine used by Cancer patients will be ready for use in November this year, officials have said.
This revelation is contained in a statement tabled on the floor of Parliament last week by Joyce Moriku, the State Minister for Primary Health Care.
It is worth noting that since the old Cancer machine at Uganda Cancer Institute broke down almost two years ago, treatment of cancer patients in Uganda has increasingly become painful as the poor who can’t afford to go abroad and better hospitals have rotten away.
According to the report, there a number steps to be conducted before patients can use the machine.
Apparently, works by Arab Contractors to refurbish the old Radiotherapy bunker was completed in April 2017 and final inspection of the Bunker by the Atomic Energy Council to assess its readiness to receive the Radiotherapy Machine in line with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommendations was carried out in May 2017.
Moriku informed Parliament that the inspection was positive and that
IAEA, backed by the Atomic Energy Council in Uganda authorized the manufacturer to source and ship the machine.
The report adds that machine is expected at Mombasa port on July28, 2017 and at the Uganda Cancer Institute in the first week of August 2017.
After its arrival, installation will commence and is anticipated to take4-6 weeks.
After the successful installation, acceptance tests will be carried
out for one week by IAEA, the Minister revealed
This will be followed by the commissioning process which will
involve the visit and assessment of the Machine by four IAEA mission
before it is fully commissioned for clinical usage.
A team comprising of IAEA Radiation Therapy Technicians, Medical
physicists, and Radiation Oncologists will come in to assess the
Safety of the installed machine, the report adds.
The Uganda Cancer Institute team will be required to radiate a set of
specific Thermo luminescent dosimeters which will then be sent for
auditing purposes to IAEA in the final assessment of the safety and
efficacy of machines.
Patients are expected to start using the mach8ine come November-if all goes as planned.
