No cancer treatment in Zimbabwe as machines breakdown

By Lance Guma
03 May 2006

The head of radiotherapy at Parirenyatwa Hospital, Dr Ntokozo Ndlovu, has confirmed reports that all three of the country’s radiotherapy machines are not working. All cancer patients who require radiation treatment have nowhere to turn and treatment outside the country is beyond the reach of most. The country has one machine at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo while the other two are at Parirenyatwa in Harare. Dr Ndlovu who is also a board member of the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe says the breakdown means the whole country cannot provide radiotherapy services and many people might lose their lives as a result.

Asked why they were in such a crisis she said one of the resident engineers, whose job was to service and repair the machines, had since resigned and left the country leaving them short of qualified personnel. Adding to the problem is that a regional company based in South Africa and contracted to conduct the repairs has said the spare parts required are no longer being manufactured. Zimbabwe’s serious foreign currency shortage is also one of the reasons for the inability to repair the machines.

Dr. Ndlovu says it will be a traumatic time for cancer patients until the situation is resolved. There are currently negotiations taking place with the International Atomic Energy Agency who she says are aware of their problems and might help with the funding of repairs. The country’s health sector has seen a dramatic decline in standards precipitated by the economic crisis, driven by bad policies. News website Zimonline reports that the country is hanging on to less than a month’s supply of life-saving anti-retroviral drugs and increases in hospital fees last month have added to the general crisis.