ZIMBABWE has only one functional radiotherapy machine which
is at Mpilo Central Hospital, a development that has left the institution
struggling to cope with demand for the services of this lifesaving machine.
The machine which is at the hospital’s Cancer Unit, is one
of the two that the hospital has.
The country has only five such mahines and three of them
are at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and a private health institution in
Harare but are all down.
Mpilo hospital is now serving patients from all over the
country that require radiotherapy treatment.
The hospital has been failing to cope with demand for
treatment from its own catchment area and the situation has now been worsened
by the break down of machines in Harare.
Mpilo used to have an average of 150 cancer patients on its
waiting list at any given time but following the break down of the Harare
machines, the figure has ballooned.
Recent statistics show that more than 60 percent of
patients are being attended to at Mpilo Central Hospital Cancer Unit and other public health institutions have stage
three and four cancers.
At this stage, the cancer would have advanced so much that
it is virtually incurable.
Stage three and four cancers require palliative treatment
which is only meant to treat symptoms or ease pain until the patient dies.
Acting Mpilo clinical director Dr Xolani Ndlovu said the
backlog for radiotherapy treatment has been worsened by patients referred from
Harare.
He said the hospital has been able to offer uninterrupted
radiotherapy services to patients as the machine is no longer affected by
voltage fluctuations when there is power outages as was the case in the past.
Dr Ndlovu said one patient needs about seven weeks
treatment and about 30 patients are being attended to per day using the single
machine.
He said patients from outside Bulawayo with no relatives
were housed at the Isagogwana Cancer Hostel within Mpilo which was a brain
child of the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe.
“The waiting list has been worsened by the fact that we
have only one machine working in the country as machines at Parirenyatwa broke
down a long time ago,” said Dr Ndlovu.
He said the hospital was now attending to patients from
different parts of the country and as such was being overwhelmed.
“Our staff are however doing their best, working long hours
to ensure we treat as many patients per day in an attempt to reduce the
backlog. We are treating 30 to 35 patients a day,” said Dr Ndlovu.
Chronicle caught up with some cancer patients who said
despite challenges, the hospital staff had been awesome and working overtime to
ensure they receive treatment.
Ms Angela Makore (45) from Triangle said she started her
treatment two weeks ago and was feeling at home in Bulawayo.
“The radiotherapists are doing their best to ensure we are
comfortable and I am glad to say when I came here, I could not walk or talk but
because of their care I am feeling a lot better,” said Ms Makore.
“Government should stop buying Ford Rangers and buy
machines for every provincial hospital so that we do not travel all the way
from Masvingo to Bulawayo for radiotherapy.”
Ms Makore said Government should prioritise the lifesaving
machines as the lives of many patients on the waiting list are under threat.
“We only have one working machine and it will soon break
down because it is overwhelmed. The whole country is coming to Mpilo,” she
said.
A nurse from Harare Ms Nyengeterai Dziva said she had just
started her cancer treatment and will be in Bulawayo for the next seven weeks.
“Cancer medication is very expensive and as a nurse I have
to raise more than US$250 for my treatment weekly. Due to Covid-19 travel
restrictions, I had to be driven by a relative which means extra transport
costs,” said Ms Dziva.
She also called on the Government to avail more machines so
that patients do not travel long distances to seek treament. Chronicle
0 comments:
Post a Comment