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Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare and Mpilo in Bulawayo are the other two hospitals licenced to treat cancer.
The licence, granted last month, has allowed Rock Foundation Medical Centre Hospital to open an oncology centre set to benefit cancer patients, most of whom have had limited access to medical care.
An HPA official confirmed the development as efforts to increase focus on cancer intensify.
“Yes, the RMC Hospital has been granted the licence to start treating cancer patients with immediate effect,” said the official.
Cancer has become one of the deadliest diseases in the country ahead of HIV and Aids, particularly in women. However, the growing number of patients has constrained facilities Parirenyatwa and Mpilo.
The World Health Organisation is pushing for countries to broaden their health sector policies to accord greater focus to non-communicable diseases such as cancer.
First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe recently underscored the need for this refocussed thrust as she called on Government to invest more in treatment of cancer at the country’s hospitals.
Between 2007 and 2009, Zimbabwe recorded between 5 000 and 7 000 new cancer patients with indications that current figures could be higher.
Online Reporter