Cancer Diseases Hospital rehabilitation on course, Mwiza Mwiya assures Zambian citizens
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Cancer Diseases Hospital (CDH) Public Relations Officer (PRO) Ms. Mwiza Mwiya
By Simon Banda and Derrick Sinjela
In a Thursday 19th October,2023
Press Statement tagged:
‘Rehabilitation of the Cancer Diseases Hospital’ Government through the Ministry of Health (MoH) assures citizens of working on rehabilitating and re-equipping the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka with modern state of the art infrastructure and equipment that will match high standard cancer treatment techniques.
Cancer Diseases Hospital (CDH) Public Relations Officer (PRO) Ms. Mwiza Mwiya hospital says authorities pledge to replace all old radiotherapy equipment with new and advanced diagnostic equipment to enhance positive outcomes for patients.
In addition to this, Ms. Mwiya says a fully equipped new bunker (specially constructed room for radiotherapy equipment) with an extra linear accelerator will be built at the hospital.
“In order to improve accessibility of cancer treatment services and reduce transportation and logistical costs for patients, Government is in the process of establishing two extra cancer treatment centres, one in Ndola and the other in Livingstone.
The construction of the two extra Cancer Treatment Centres will be funded through the Arab Bank for Economic Development, Fund for International Development and Government Republic of Zambia loan facility which has been approved and reactivated by government,” assured Ms. Mwiya.
Dr. Susan Citonje Msadabwe is Cancer Diseases Hospital Senior Medical Superintendent
Ms. Mwiya acknowledged that Zambia has been limited in terms of equipment to effectively treat all cancer patients, explaining that by 2022, 13, 800 new diagnosed cancer cases countrywide were identified out of which only 2,848 sought treatments at the Cancer Diseases Hospital.
Currently, Mwiya says a total of patients 549 awaiting radiotherapy.
“Cancer is usually managed by a multi-modality approach which includes surgery, chemotherapy and palliative care. In Zambia, Surgery is performed in both private and public facilities at tertiary, provincial and district levels. Chemotherapy is offered at Cancer Diseases Hospital, University Teaching Hospital (UTH) as well as some mission and private hospitals. Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka is the only facility currently offering radiotherapy treatment in Zambia,” said Ms. Mwiya.
However, Mwiya says as CDH undergoes rehabilitation and equipment replacement, patients presently in need of radiotherapy treatment in the country are being sent to Tanzania and India.
“As Government works on replacing the old radiotherapy equipment at the hospital which is currently nonfunctional. The patients are being sent to Tanzania and India at full Government cost,” said Ms. Mwiya.
Meanwhile, urging patients and citizens not to despair, Ms. Mwiya says the Cancer Diseases Hospital has continued operating normally with the exception of radiotherapy by offering other cancer treatment services such as chemotherapy, surgery and palliative care.
