By Agness Changala
Nakonde Member of Parliament (PF) Luke Simumba has demanded to know when the government will repair the broken radiation machine at the Cancer Diseases Hospital (CDH), which has forced University Teaching Hospital (UTH) to send cancer patients to Tanzania.
Rising on a point of order in Parliament with reference to a Daily Revelation story where UTH confirmed to the Newspaper that the Radiotherapy machine has been down since last year with patients now being referred to Tanzania and India, Simumba wanted to know if the government was helping those being referred to Tanzania to meet the costs involved in the treatment.
He also wanted to know the estimated cost for one to be sent to Tanzania.
Simumba however, said his response will only be addressed on Thursday as the speaker guided him to put in as an urgent question to be addressed next week Thursday.
“I raised the matter of urgent public importance based on your article which is now subjecting people to be sent to Tanzania. So we wanted to find out from the government if they are trying to assist those going to Tanzania and also how long that machine will take to be repaired, Simumba said. “There will be an urgent question next because it was not addressed. I was told to put in an urgent question to find out from the government. So the position of the government will be heard on Thursday next week. “We want to know about four questions among them when and how long it will take for it to be repaired also if the government is helping those people and the cost estimated for those being referred to Tanzania.”
On Monday, Daily Revelation published a story where CDH confirmed that the radiation machine at the country’s biggest hospital has not been working since December 2022.
Further to this, the hospital said due to the broken equipment, it is sending patients seeking radiotherapy to Tanzania, although there was no indication whether or not the sending of patients there is at the hospital’s expense.
Daily Revelation also attempted to get a government position through permanent secretary Christopher Simoonga but he has not been able to respond three days after the query was sent to him.
The first time Simoonga was contacted, he requested the journalist to send him a message.
The journalist then wrote the message by requesting the controlling officer to give government position on the issue at hand as this will help to balance the story while other stakeholders comment on it, but he has not come forth.
When phoned again, he cut the line and sent the journalist a message stating that he would call back but up now, no response has come through.
“I’ll call you back,” wrote Simoonga.
