Good news to Cancer treatment in Uganda. The Government of Uganda has procured a True Beam Linear Accelerator Cancer Machine which according to the Ministry of Health is being installed at Uganda Cancer Institute. “This machine is the 1st of its kind in Africa,” Said Jane Ruth Aceng, Minister of Health.
The machine will start operation in December 2020 and will go a long way in improving cancer treatment in Uganda. It is designed to use high precision to treat tumours and lesions in various part of the body such as head, neck, breast, lung, etc.
It uses beam radiation treatment by delivering high-energy electrons to the area of the patient’s tumour.
This machine will cut down sessions to 1 -5 for a patient, depending on the tumour as compared to 20 to 40 sessions of conventional radiation therapy.
“Health workers have been undergoing rigorous orientation and training on how to run and maintain the machine. Improving service delivery at our hospitals and health facilities reduces the financial haemorrhage incurred by our people and the country, at large in seeking treatment abroad”, Said Ms Jane Aceng
We are expecting 3 more of such machines and 2 High Dose Rate Brachytheraphy machines which will be housed in the 6 bunkers constructed at UCI.
