Govt pledges to deploy qualified physicist to Mpilo

MPILO Central Hospital acting chief executive Solwayo Ngwenya has revealed that government has promised to deploy a physicist to operate the cancer radiotherapy machines which are lying idle as there is no qualified operator.

Ngwenya said government had heeded their concerns of being short-staffed and would soon deploy a physicist to the hospital.

"The government has seconded a physicist so the machines will be working very soon," he said.

Recently, Ngwenya revealed that the hospital's two physicists had left for greener pastures.

He said the one who joined the hospital recently still needed to be trained on how to operate the machines.

Ngwenya said the shortage of physicists meant the hospital would offer limited services until the institution has a full complement.

He said since the machines had been down for months, they should be checked before patients can start accessing the service again.

Ngwenya said they required at least three physicists.

The Mpilo boss said physicists were highly skilled and sought-after even outside the country, adding that they would contact patients on the waiting list once everything was in order.