Zimbabweans battling cancer have been given a lifeline following the resumption of radiotherapy services at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, providing a more affordable treatment option for patients, after a two-year hiatus.
The hospital has not been offering radiotherapy services since 2022 when all three machines broke down, forcing hundreds of patients to turn to private healthcare providers.
Radiotherapy in the private sector can cost upwards of US$5 000, depending on the stage of the disease, putting it out of reach for most Zimbabweans who rely on public healthcare institutions.
Radiotherapy is a type of treatment that uses beams of intense energy to kill cancer cells. It is used to treat at least 50 percent of all cancer cases and it relieves pain by shrinking the cancer cells and can also be used to treat some conditions that are not cancerous, including benign tumours.
Head of the radiotherapy department at Parirenyatwa Hospital, Dr Nothando Mutizira, said the institution was gradually initiating patients on the machine based on the urgency of their cases.
"So far we have one machine which started running two weeks ago so we have been gradually adding patients to this machine. Whilst all cancers are a priority, we are triaging (preliminary assessment) our patients and putting them on the machine based on urgency. We are booking our patients as they come, but if there are patients with urgent conditions and they need to be put on the machine urgently we are doing that," she said.
Dr Mutizira said the more stable patients were being booked for sessions at a later date to ensure that everyone got served, while not overwhelming the machine.
Since the machine began working, 10 patients are now on the machine and six more will be added this week. After that, six patients will be added to the machine on a weekly basis.
"When the department is functioning at its peak, we normally have about 60 patients on radiotherapy per day, but right now we have not yet saturated our machine and we hope to do that gradually so that we don't overwhelm the machine and our staff.
"We currently have a serious shortage of radiotherapy technicians so we are operating with skeleton staff. They are also undergoing refresher courses as they have not been working with radiotherapy machines for the past two years. That is why we are doing this process gradually so that we can manage the numbers and also manage our patients adequately and give them the best care possible," said Dr Mutizira.
While the one machine that is now working is not enough to cater for all cancer patients in need of radiotherapy, Dr Mutizira said the resuscitation of the second machine was underway.
To ensure sustainability of the machines, the Government secured a three-year service contract for the machines to ensure that they are serviced on time and fixed within a short space of time in the event of a breakdown.
"The aim of having a service contract is to reduce down times when the machines break down. As you know, when you are working with a machine you can never really have equipment that runs smoothly through and through so whenever we have breakdowns now that we have a service contract, we know that any issues can be addressed timeously," added Dr Mutizira.
Cancer patients at the hospital expressed their gratitude to the Government for ensuring that they get a service that is affordable.
Said Mrs Ruth Dakwa from Glen View: "I was diagnosed with cervical cancer three years ago and I was referred for radiotherapy two years ago. When I went to private facilities, I was told that it would cost me US$5 000 to receive radiotherapy but I could not raise that money.
"This was a drawback to my cancer treatment and I was told that the cancer had progressed to another stage, while I was waiting.
"I have been on chemotherapy since then and I am happy that the radiotherapy machine here is now working so that I can finally get the radiotherapy treatment as well.
"As I am registered on Social Welfare, my treatment at Parirenyatwa is free and I really want to express my gratitude to the Government for that."
Mrs Dakwa called on everyone who is diagnosed with cancer to seek medical treatment early to avoid complications.
Another cervical cancer patient Ms Pamhidzai Zaranyika expressed her joy that the machines had been restored.
"I started cancer treatment on 11 March and I am supposed to start on radiotherapy next week. I am grateful that the machines are now working as this means that I will get my treatment without any delays," she said.
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Mr Kudakwashe Mbuva, who is being treated for prostate cancer, called on the Government to expedite the resuscitation of the other machines to cater for all patients in need of radiotherapy services.
"I am happy that we are now receiving services here and I hope that all the machines will start working soon because the number of people with cancer is growing so this would save the lives of many people," he said.
According to the National Cancer Registry, the total number of cancer cases recorded in Zimbabwe in 2018 stood at 7 841 with 2 500 cancer associated deaths.
The most frequently occurring cancers among Zimbabweans of all races in that year were cervical cancer, which accounted for 21 percent of all cancer cases followed by prostate cancer which accounted for 11 percent of all cases.
Other cancers that were among the most common included breast cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, cancer of the oesophagus, kaposi sarcoma, colo-rectal, stomach and liver cancers.
