Zimbabwe is set
to take delivery of a new generation of cutting-edge radiotherapy machines
early next year after Treasury finalised payment of the initial deposits for
the equipment, which will be installed at two major referral hospitals.
The machines,
which are currently under manufacture, are being procured using US$30 million
raised from the sugar tax introduced in the 2024 National Budget.
According to
the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion’s 2026
Zimbabwe Infrastructure Investment Programme released last month, Treasury has
paid US$5,3 million for the equipment.
Procurement of
the machines — set to be installed at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare
and Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo — represents the largest public sector
investment in cancer treatment infrastructure in decades.
A Government
technical team is scheduled to travel to the manufacturer’s plant in the first
two weeks of January for pre-delivery inspections, after which the equipment
will be shipped to Zimbabwe.
The authorities
have since begun decommissioning the older radiotherapy machines at
Parirenyatwa and Mpilo.
The units,
which remain functional, will be redeployed to public hospitals in Gweru, and
Masvingo or Chinhoyi, allowing the country to establish additional cancer
treatment centres.
The expansion
will increase the number of radiotherapy sites from two to four nationwide,
helping to reduce patient load, shorten waiting times and bring lifesaving
treatment closer to communities.
In an interview
with The Sunday Mail, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora
confirmed that the procurement process is now complete and that suppliers have
already begun manufacturing the machines.
“We completed
the procurement process; the Minister of Finance (Economic Development and
Investment Promotion) paid the deposit that was required — that is 20 percent —
and the machines are already being manufactured,” he said.
“Some of the
machines, one of the companies that are supplying the low-energy machines, have
already completed them.”
The Government,
Dr Mombeshora said, will dispatch a team of specialists in early January to
conduct a pre-shipment inspection.
Once the
machines arrive, installation will begin at the two referral hospitals while
the older units are redeployed to establish new treatment centres.
“Back home
here, we have started the decommissioning process,” he said.
“One new
machine will be installed at Mpilo and another at Parirenyatwa. The old machine
at Mpilo is being moved to Gweru so we can establish a new cancer treatment
centre there. We will start with the old machine as we build capacity.”
He added that
the older Parirenyatwa machine will either go to Chinhoyi or Masvingo, with the
latter receiving strong consideration because of its emerging medical school,
which could use the equipment for training purposes.
“The next phase
will also be the decommissioning of the equipment at Parirenyatwa, and we plan
to either put it in Chinhoyi hospital or in Masvingo,” he said.
“But I was
suggesting that we put it in Masvingo since there is a new medical school that
is coming up there, maybe to help in training . . .”
The
establishment of radiotherapy services in Gweru and either Masvingo or Chinhoyi
will represent a major milestone in Zimbabwe’s efforts to decentralise
specialised healthcare.
Reads
Treasury’s Infrastructure Investment Programme: “As part to improve health
services through the procurement of new cancer diagnostic and treatment
machines, a total of US$5,3 million has been paid as deposits to suppliers of
medical equipment to enable the delivery and installation of the equipment. The
equipment includes Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), fusion pump, syringe pump,
vital signs monitor, fluid warmers, gas chromatograph, mass spectrometer,
point-of-care blood gas analyser, chemistry analyser and video laryngoscope to
be distributed at Parirenyatwa, Mpilo, Sally Mugabe, United Bulawayo and
Chitungwiza Central hospitals.”
For years,
cancer patients unable to afford private treatment have endured long waits or
costly travel to Harare and Bulawayo.
Doubling public
radiotherapy capacity is expected to ease the burden and drastically improve
treatment outcomes.
Funding for the
equipment is being drawn from the sugar tax introduced in the 2024 National
Budget.
The levy,
imposed on sugar-sweetened beverages to help curb non-communicable diseases, is
now being channelled into critical healthcare investments.
Cancer
treatment machines were identified as a top priority for last year’s
collections.
The Government
is procuring a full suite of modern radiotherapy technologies that includes
MRI, fusion pump and syringe pumps.
An MRI machine
uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of
internal organs, tissues and tumours, allowing doctors to diagnose cancers,
strokes, spinal conditions and other diseases with high accuracy.
A fusion pump
delivers controlled amounts of medication, nutrients or fluids into a patient’s
bloodstream, ensuring precise dosing during treatment.
A syringe pump
performs a similar function on a smaller scale, administering very small but
accurate volumes of drugs, especially critical in intensive care and paediatric
wards. Sunday Mail
