By Agness Changala
Due to the broken radiation equipment at the Cancer Disease Hospital (CDH) at the University Teaching Hospitals (UTH), patients seeking radiotherapy have been told to go to Tanzania for treatment.
UTH confirmed to Daily Revelation that the equipment at the country’s biggest hospital has not been working since
Daily Revelation has been told that many have been placed on long waiting lists due to the non-functioning of this critical equipment used for the treatment of cancer patients in the country.
One of the affected Zambians said her sister was dying of pain at home and there is nothing the family can do about it.
She said her sister last visited UTH in June and she was given an appointment for December just like many other patients.
Family members of some patients who chose to remain anonymous said many patients were enduring pain in their homes and no one was telling them anything except to be given long appointments whenever they visited Cancer Disease Hospital at UTH.
UTH’s public relations officer Terence Nyirongo confirmed the situation in response to a Daily Revelation inquiry that the radiotherapy equipment has not been working since December 2022.
However, Nyirongo did not indicate whether or not the sending of patients to Tanzania is at the hospital’s expense.
“We can confirm that the radiotherapy equipment has not been working since December 2022. Because the hospital’s radiotherapy equipment is nonfunctional, patients requiring radiotherapy will be sent to Tanzania for radiotherapy treatment,” Nyirongo said.
He also said even when the radiotherapy equipment is functional, for some very highly specialized treatment that might still not be available in Zambia, patients might still be sent to India.
Nyirongo indicated that currently 549 cancer patients are on the waiting list, adding that CDH is the only facility in the country offering radiotherapy and the only government hospital in the country specialised in offering comprehensive cancer treatment.
Nyirongo said more than 60 percent of cancer patients require radiotherapy as part of cancer treatment.
He revealed that currently, the hospital has two cobalt 60 external radiotherapy machines, two internal radiotherapy Brachytherapy machines and one linear accelerator external radiotherapy machine.
“Apart from one cobalt machine which was installed in 2014 and one internal brachytherapy machine, all other radiotherapy machines were installed in 2006, and are now old to a point of being obsolete. Currently, only one brachytherapy is operational, and the cobalt external radiotherapy machine which was installed in 2014 and is awaiting a cobalt source to be delivered after which it will be used to provide radiotherapy,” Nyirongo stated.
Meanwhile, Nyirongo said the country does not have enough machines to effectively treat all the diagnosed cancers.
“This is especially considering that about 13,800 new cases were diagnosed last year (2022) countrywide, with 2,848 reaching cancer diseases hospital,” he said.
Nyirongo said in order to restore the radiotherapy service at the CDH, the government through the MoH is in the process of decommissioning, redesigning, rehabilitating and re-equipping of radiotherapy equipment and infrastructure at the facility.
He said the old radiotherapy equipment will be replaced with modern equipment that will be compatible with higher techniques of treatment to improve outcomes for patients by replacing current tele-radiotherapy equipment, although there was no mention of how soon this will be done.
“One additional bunker (Specially constructed room for radiotherapy equipment) with extra linear accelerator will be built and equipped. In addition, the government approved and reactivated the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), OPEC-Fund for International Development (OFID), and the government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ), loan facility that will see establishment of two extra radiotherapy treatment centres in Ndola and Livingstone. The Ndola site is already in the construction phase,” he stated.
Nyirongo stated that the above will make cancer services more accessible, curb challenges on transportation and logistical costs that accrue to patients who currently access treatment from
Lusaka.
On the control of cancers, Nyirongo stated that the ministry has prioritised the control of breast, colorectal, prostate and childhood cancers as well the elimination of cervical cancer in Zambia.
He stated that emphasis is also being placed on ensuring that national health care packages of the National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) include these priority cancers.
The officer stated that despite cancer awareness being promoted atvarious levels, awareness levels are still low estimated to be at less than five per cent.
On prevention measures, he stated that the hospital has been conducting the HPV vaccination for girls aged 9 and 15 years and Hepatitis vaccinations for under-fives through established EP program countrywide to prevent cervical cancer and liver cancer respectively.
Nyirongo stated that a multi sectorial and public health care approach will go a long way to reduce cancer incidences in the country of which tobacco and alcohol have notable causative association.
He said in terms of coverage, cancer screening has been rolled to 111 of 116 districts in Zambia with 278 cervical cancer screening clinics that have the capacity for immediate treatment premalignant cancer.
Nyirongo also said Zambia has continued to face a high burden of cancer related illness and deaths.
