adminexecutive officer Mr Thomas Zigora has said.
Speaking during a tour of the department by Finance Ministry secretary Mr Willard Manungo and his team on Tuesday, Mr Zigora said three new linear accelerators, a simulator, an oncology CT scan and two braccitherapy units recently purchased by Government had been installed and almost all the machines were now functioning.
He said each machine had a capacity to treat about 80 patients a day when fully functional but currently, 60 patients were treated a day for six weeks.
“With these machines, over 100 patients could be treated a day because they work 24 hours but due to staff shortages they are only treating 60 patients a day,” Mr Zigora.
He said there were only four qualified oncologists, three physicists and nine therapy radiographers. More doctors, nurses and physicists are needed for the machines to function at full throttle.
“All these machines have been installed, commissioned and are functioning save for one linear accelerator, which is awaiting commissioning. We have however sent the chief physicists to Germany for a one-week training on operating this particular machine. The machine is a bit different from the other two machines,” Mr Zigora said.
He said the institutions hoped that as soon as the chief physicists come back into the country, the other machine would be commissioned and be ready for use. Mr Zigora also pleaded with Treasury for funding to procure drugs for the treatment of cancers.
Online Reporter