News / National
Mohadi demands restoration of Mpilo radiotherapy machines
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Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo is in urgent need of close to R1 million to purchase a new Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) system that will ensure continuous radiation sessions for cancer patients. The critical equipment is essential for the hospital's radiotherapy machines, which are highly sensitive to power fluctuations. Any disruption in the power supply can result in severe damage to these vital machines, further exacerbating the already challenging situation.
Currently, two of the radiotherapy machines at Mpilo are down, leaving many cancer patients in limbo as they are unable to receive the necessary treatments. This was revealed during a visit to the hospital by Vice-President Kembo Mohadi on Friday. VP Mohadi directed the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to urgently allocate the R1 million required for the servicing of the machines, stressing the importance of keeping cancer treatment facilities in the Southern region operational.
The Vice-President expressed concern over the immense financial burden cancer patients face when they have to travel to countries like South Africa and India for treatment. "We cannot allow this situation to persist. We must ensure that these critical machines are up and running, so that patients do not have to endure the high costs of travelling abroad," VP Mohadi said.
According to Mpilo Central Hospital's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Narcisius Dzvanga, the hospital's UPS system requires 24 batteries to function correctly. These batteries, which are crucial to maintaining a stable power supply, need to be replaced. Quotations from South Africa indicate that the cost of replacing the batteries exceeds R1 million. However, an attempt to downsize the hospital's UPS system to match that of Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals was rejected by VP Mohadi, who emphasized that the current setup was designed to meet the hospital's unique needs and must be maintained.
"We need to get this machine running; we cannot fail to raise this amount as a country," VP Mohadi insisted. "The proposed downsizing is not acceptable. We need the full US$100,000 to restore functionality."
Nearly 50 percent of cancer patients at Mpilo require radiotherapy, but with the machines currently down, patients are being referred to Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare. Unfortunately, this has led to significant delays, with waiting periods stretching up to five months due to the overwhelming demand for services at the Harare facility.
VP Mohadi reiterated that it is impractical for one public institution to shoulder the responsibility of treating all cancer patients in the country. "Parirenyatwa cannot carry the entire nation. We need to have other referral hospitals providing this vital service. People are dying every day because we cannot avail US$100,000 to fix these machines," he said. "We are also wasting foreign currency by sending patients abroad for treatment. This is not sustainable."
The Vice-President made it clear that while the government may consider purchasing new machines in the future, the immediate priority must be to repair the existing ones and resume treatment at Mpilo as soon as possible.
"We don't know when the new machines will be available. The people of Zimbabwe cannot afford to wait any longer. Cancer patients need treatment now, and we must act quickly," he said.
Dr. Tatenda Chingonzoh, head of Radiotherapy at Mpilo, confirmed that the long waiting periods for treatment were severely impacting patients. "In Harare, patients are waiting four to five months for treatment, and many of them are coming from Bulawayo," Dr. Chingonzoh said. "In January, engineers tried to get the machines running, but power issues prevented them from completing the job."
In the first quarter of the year, Mpilo has seen around 1,200 cancer patients, and about 50 percent of them require radiotherapy services. However, due to the breakdown of the equipment, no radiotherapy treatments have been administered thus far.
Dr. Dzvanga explained that while the hospital had previously engaged a South African company to service the machines, local technicians were unable to resolve the issues, and they were left unable to repair the broken equipment. He emphasized the need for comprehensive service contracts to ensure that minor faults can be addressed promptly and without delays.
"Without a proper service contract, no maintenance can be done, and we are forced to pay cash upfront for spare parts," Dr. Dzvanga said. "This is a major challenge for the hospital."
At present, Mpilo is only able to offer chemotherapy, but for many cancers, including cervical cancer, radiotherapy is a critical component of treatment.
VP Mohadi's visit highlighted the urgent need for action to resolve the power supply issue and get the radiotherapy machines back in operation. With the support of the Treasury, Mpilo Central Hospital aims to restore these essential services, ensuring that cancer patients can receive timely and effective treatment without the need for costly travel abroad.
Currently, two of the radiotherapy machines at Mpilo are down, leaving many cancer patients in limbo as they are unable to receive the necessary treatments. This was revealed during a visit to the hospital by Vice-President Kembo Mohadi on Friday. VP Mohadi directed the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to urgently allocate the R1 million required for the servicing of the machines, stressing the importance of keeping cancer treatment facilities in the Southern region operational.
The Vice-President expressed concern over the immense financial burden cancer patients face when they have to travel to countries like South Africa and India for treatment. "We cannot allow this situation to persist. We must ensure that these critical machines are up and running, so that patients do not have to endure the high costs of travelling abroad," VP Mohadi said.
According to Mpilo Central Hospital's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Narcisius Dzvanga, the hospital's UPS system requires 24 batteries to function correctly. These batteries, which are crucial to maintaining a stable power supply, need to be replaced. Quotations from South Africa indicate that the cost of replacing the batteries exceeds R1 million. However, an attempt to downsize the hospital's UPS system to match that of Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals was rejected by VP Mohadi, who emphasized that the current setup was designed to meet the hospital's unique needs and must be maintained.
"We need to get this machine running; we cannot fail to raise this amount as a country," VP Mohadi insisted. "The proposed downsizing is not acceptable. We need the full US$100,000 to restore functionality."
Nearly 50 percent of cancer patients at Mpilo require radiotherapy, but with the machines currently down, patients are being referred to Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare. Unfortunately, this has led to significant delays, with waiting periods stretching up to five months due to the overwhelming demand for services at the Harare facility.
VP Mohadi reiterated that it is impractical for one public institution to shoulder the responsibility of treating all cancer patients in the country. "Parirenyatwa cannot carry the entire nation. We need to have other referral hospitals providing this vital service. People are dying every day because we cannot avail US$100,000 to fix these machines," he said. "We are also wasting foreign currency by sending patients abroad for treatment. This is not sustainable."
The Vice-President made it clear that while the government may consider purchasing new machines in the future, the immediate priority must be to repair the existing ones and resume treatment at Mpilo as soon as possible.
"We don't know when the new machines will be available. The people of Zimbabwe cannot afford to wait any longer. Cancer patients need treatment now, and we must act quickly," he said.
Dr. Tatenda Chingonzoh, head of Radiotherapy at Mpilo, confirmed that the long waiting periods for treatment were severely impacting patients. "In Harare, patients are waiting four to five months for treatment, and many of them are coming from Bulawayo," Dr. Chingonzoh said. "In January, engineers tried to get the machines running, but power issues prevented them from completing the job."
In the first quarter of the year, Mpilo has seen around 1,200 cancer patients, and about 50 percent of them require radiotherapy services. However, due to the breakdown of the equipment, no radiotherapy treatments have been administered thus far.
Dr. Dzvanga explained that while the hospital had previously engaged a South African company to service the machines, local technicians were unable to resolve the issues, and they were left unable to repair the broken equipment. He emphasized the need for comprehensive service contracts to ensure that minor faults can be addressed promptly and without delays.
"Without a proper service contract, no maintenance can be done, and we are forced to pay cash upfront for spare parts," Dr. Dzvanga said. "This is a major challenge for the hospital."
At present, Mpilo is only able to offer chemotherapy, but for many cancers, including cervical cancer, radiotherapy is a critical component of treatment.
VP Mohadi's visit highlighted the urgent need for action to resolve the power supply issue and get the radiotherapy machines back in operation. With the support of the Treasury, Mpilo Central Hospital aims to restore these essential services, ensuring that cancer patients can receive timely and effective treatment without the need for costly travel abroad.
Source - The Chronicle
