From APA via Star Africa

A number of cancer patients in Uganda are stranded after the only cancer radiotherapy machine at the Uganda Cancer Institute broke down.

The director of the Cancer Institute at Mulago national referral hospital Dr. Jackson Orem said in an interview Friday that the machine, which broke down three weeks ago, might be hard to repair, noting that it could be obsolete as it was procured in 1995.

“We shall try fixing it but even when we succeed, it will be dangerous for us to use it because we are dealing with radiation which can cause severe side effects to the patients,” Dr. Orem said.

He said there is no hope of acquiring a new machine soon, adding that the institute plans to buy and install a new cobalt 60 radiation machine next year.

Dr. Orem said those patients who strictly need radiotherapy to destroy the cancerous cells, can only be referred abroad at the moment. He said only those who need palliative care will be put on morphine drugs as an alternative.

According to statistics, on a daily basis, the department receives about 100 cancer patients who need external exposure to radioactive waves to receive relief against cervical cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer and others organ cancers.

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